Overview
- The June 2 primary night returns initially put Spencer Pratt in second place, but successive counts of mail-in ballots flipped the race and allowed Nithya Raman to overtake him for the final runoff spot.
- Los Angeles County’s final tally shows Mayor Karen Bass with about 34.3% of the vote, Raman with roughly 29%, and Pratt eliminated with about 25.5%, a gap of roughly 30,000 votes between Pratt and Raman.
- Days after the result was settled, Pratt posted a three-minute video that acknowledged his loss, launched sustained personal attacks on Bass and Raman, declared “It’s war,” and claimed—without independent verification—that he holds recordings that could force a candidate to resign.
- Pratt’s insurgent campaign rose from grievance over the Palisades wildfire to a late surge fueled by viral content, celebrity endorsements and large fundraising, and his remaining network of supporters now faces outreach from both runoff campaigns.
- California’s system allows mail ballots to be received and counted after polls close, a timing pattern that frequently favors Democrats in Los Angeles and explains how late returns can change initial election-night standings.