Bass Advances in LA Mayor Race Amid Pratt Challenge

Los Angeles voters expressed frustration with homelessness, wildfire recovery and rising costs when they sent incumbent Mayor Karen Bass into a November runoff on June 2. Early returns showed her with 35 to 37 percent of the vote, short of the outright majority required to avoid a second round under California's top-two primary system. Spencer Pratt, a former reality television personality, held second place near 30 percent while City Council member Nithya Raman trailed at roughly 21 to 22 percent, with additional mail ballots still to be counted.

The Associated Press and CBS News projections confirmed Bass's advancement after polls closed at 8 p.m. Pacific time. California election officials expect several weeks of updates because a large share of ballots arrive by mail. Bass, 72, a former U.S. representative and state Assembly speaker, had led pre-election surveys from UC Berkeley and the Los Angeles Times that showed a three-way contest within the margin of error.

Bass defended her record on homelessness reductions and a historically low homicide rate while acknowledging the January 2025 Palisades Fire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of structures. She was traveling in Ghana when the blaze began. Pratt, 42, who lost his home in that fire, campaigned on criticism of city services, calling for arrests and mandatory treatment to clear encampments. He received an informal nod from President Donald Trump but emphasized local issues.

Raman, 44, positioned herself as an alternative focused on faster housing production and accountability for homeless spending. She had initially endorsed Bass before entering the race herself. Both Bass and Pratt drew support from prominent figures: Bass from Governor Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris and Nancy Pelosi; Pratt from celebrities including Joe Rogan and Paris Hilton. Los Angeles County recorded a net loss of about 54,000 residents between July 2024 and July 2025, the largest numeric decline of any U.S. county, according to federal data.

The runoff will decide leadership of the nation's second-largest city as it prepares to host World Cup matches in 2026 and the 2028 Olympics. No candidate reached 50 percent, so the top two finishers will appear on the November ballot regardless of party.