Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is facing a bruising fight for a second term as two serious challengers threaten to turn the race into a high-stakes runoff.
Bass, who has taken heavy criticism over her time in office, is leading the all-party primary but remains far short of the majority needed to win outright.
Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a Republican whose home burned in the 2025 Palisades Fire, is mounting a surprisingly strong challenge from the right. City Council member Nithya Raman, a former Bass ally and Democratic Socialists of America member, is attacking the mayor from the left.
Under the rules of the race, a candidate who wins a majority of the vote avoids a runoff and captures the office immediately. If no candidate crosses that threshold, the top two finishers in the all-party primary advance to the general election.
With 63.1% of the expected vote in, Bass had 172,720 votes, or 34.8%, and was advancing to the general election.
Pratt was in second place with 151,149 votes, or 30.4%, putting him in position to claim the other runoff spot.
Raman trailed in third with 110,848 votes, or 22.3%.
The numbers mark a major political warning sign for Bass, who is now staring at the possibility of a one-on-one fight against Pratt in a city long dominated by Democrats.
Pratt’s showing is especially notable given Los Angeles’ deep-blue political makeup and the late-arriving mail-in ballots still waiting to be counted.
Roughly 290,000 votes were estimated to remain outstanding, meaning the race was not fully settled. But Pratt’s lead over Raman appeared large enough to give him a strong chance of holding onto second place.
One update circulating around the race described Pratt as being in a “VERY GOOD and COMFORTABLE” position as he led Raman and closely trailed Bass.
Mail-in ballots can continue arriving and being counted, and those votes could still shift the final margins. But Pratt’s current advantage has given his supporters reason to believe he may survive the late deep-blue vote and force a runoff.
For Bass, the results show clear weakness heading into the next phase of the race.
The incumbent mayor entered the contest with name recognition, party support and the power of City Hall behind her. But the early numbers suggest a sizable share of Los Angeles voters are looking elsewhere.
Pratt’s campaign has tapped into frustration over the city’s direction, with his personal connection to the Palisades Fire giving him a sharp message against the political establishment.
Nithya Raman walked out to her campaign funeral in literal tears last night
She can’t hide her disappointment at the red wave that showed out in LA Mayoral race
Angelenos are taking their city back from the grip of incompetence. pic.twitter.com/8q1ybdgQmG
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) June 3, 2026
Raman’s challenge from the left has created a different headache for Bass, exposing discontent among progressives who once viewed the mayor as an ally.
That squeeze from both sides has left Bass in first place but politically wounded.
If the current standings hold, Bass and Pratt will move into a runoff that could become one of the most unusual mayoral showdowns Los Angeles has seen in years.
For now, Bass is advancing. But Pratt is eyeing the second slot, and the race for Los Angeles mayor has suddenly become much more uncomfortable for the incumbent.
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