The essentials
Raman advances to November runoff against Bass; Pratt eliminated after votes fully counted.
The Los Angeles mayoral primary results have been officially confirmed following California's extended vote-counting process. Nithya Raman has advanced to the November runoff against Mayor Karen Bass, securing the second spot in the two-candidate general election matchup.
Spencer Pratt has been eliminated from the race, ending his path to the general election after leading in early vote tallies. The shift reflects the impact of late-arriving mail-in ballots, which demonstrated different voting patterns than earlier counted votes.
Mayor Karen Bass received less than 35 percent of the primary vote, maintaining her frontrunner status despite the incumbent's performance falling short of an outright majority. The final vote totals confirm the Bass-Raman runoff will proceed to November under Los Angeles's top-two election system.
California's vote-counting process delayed final results by nearly one week, extending the typical election timeline as officials completed ballot tabulation. The extended counting period proved consequential in reshaping the final runoff matchup from earlier projections.
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Late ballots reshape final matchup in extended counting period
California's deliberate vote-counting process significantly altered the race outcome. Early results showed Pratt in second place, but mail-in ballots arriving later demonstrated different voting preferences that elevated Raman past Pratt for the runoff spot. The nearly week-long counting extension proved decisive in determining which two candidates advance to November.
Bass-Raman runoff replaces earlier Pratt-Bass matchup projection
The confirmed results establish a November contest between the incumbent mayor and the councilmember who entered the race at the filing deadline. Bass maintains frontrunner status with her primary plurality, while Raman advances despite Pratt's earlier polling prominence. The final matchup reflects shifting voter preferences across the extended counting period.