Progressive Nithya Raman advances to November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass
Jun 8, 2026, 4:58 PM
Nithya Raman, a candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, smiles during a campaign event discussing tenant protections with renters in Los Angeles, Monday, June 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Credit: AP Photo/Jae C. Hong
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Progressive city council member Nithya Raman has advanced to a November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, setting up an unexpected matchup between two Democrats and former political allies to run the struggling city of nearly 4 million.
The outcome means Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former reality television personality from “The Hills,” is out of the running. His candidacy had drawn national attention because of his celebrity and willingness to challenge liberal governance in a city dominated by Democrats, but the buzz did not translate into enough votes to make the runoff.
Raman made a last-minute entry into the race, after she had endorsed Bass for reelection. She was elected to the council with the support of the Democratic Socialists of America, and the election will test whether voters in the heavily Democratic city want to move further to the political left to address long-running problems of homelessness, buckled streets and sidewalks and climbing rent and home prices.
The race also has historical markers. Bass is the first Black woman to hold the post, and Raman could be the first South Asian woman in the job.
