Here’s what happened.
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is facing mounting challenges after a new round of ballot counting dramatically narrowed his lead and raised fresh questions about whether he can secure a place in the upcoming runoff election.
The latest vote update delivered a major boost to City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, who gained ground rapidly as election officials continued processing hundreds of thousands of outstanding ballots.
For weeks, Pratt appeared well-positioned to advance alongside incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. But Friday’s ballot release painted a very different picture.
Bass remained in first place with 35% of the vote, while Pratt’s share slipped to roughly 28.2%. Raman surged to nearly 25%, placing her within striking distance as the count continues.
The numbers tell the story.
Pratt added just over 10,600 votes in the latest ballot drop.
Raman gained more than 23,000.
That means Raman outperformed Pratt by more than two-to-one in the newest batch of ballots, dramatically shrinking the gap between the two candidates.
Current results show:
- Karen Bass: 35% (215,868 votes)
- Spencer Pratt: 28.2% (174,260 votes)
- Nithya Raman: 24.9% (153,588 votes)
With only 71% of ballots counted, the outcome remains uncertain. However, political insiders say momentum appears to be moving in Raman’s direction.
Veteran political strategist Michael Trujillo told The California Post that the latest numbers suggest Raman may now have the inside track to reach the runoff.
“Barring a major surprise, today’s results indicate Raman is likely headed toward the runoff election,” Trujillo said.
He also pointed to a larger political question developing in Los Angeles.
According to Trujillo, voters may soon decide whether they are comfortable giving candidates backed by the Democratic Socialists of America increased influence across city government.
Another factor working in Raman’s favor could be the composition of the remaining ballots.
Historically, younger voters tend to return ballots later in the election cycle. Political observers note that progressive candidates have often performed well among those voters, making the remaining count especially important.
Not everyone is ready to count Pratt out.
Political strategist Rick Taylor cautioned that significant uncertainty remains because so many ballots are still waiting to be processed.
“No one knows for sure where this race is headed,” Taylor said. “We’re all making educated guesses without seeing all the votes.”
Still, Taylor acknowledged Raman’s strong performance in the latest ballot release.
“When one candidate beats another by more than two-to-one in a ballot drop, that’s a huge gain,” he said.
Governor’s Race Also Takes Dramatic Turn
The race for California governor saw another major development.
Former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra moved ahead of Republican Steve Hilton in one of the closest statewide contests in the nation.
Becerra now holds approximately 26.7% of the vote compared to Hilton’s 26.3%.
Businessman Tom Steyer remains in third place with 21%.
With hundreds of thousands of ballots still waiting to be counted statewide, analysts say additional movement remains possible.
Federal Attention Turns Toward California’s Slow Vote Count
California’s lengthy ballot-counting process is increasingly drawing national attention.
On Friday, U.S. Attorney Robert Renner toured Los Angeles County’s massive ballot-processing facility as scrutiny grows over the pace of vote counting.
The visit came after reports highlighted large numbers of uncounted ballots and ongoing backlogs despite several days of counting.
Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli announced that federal authorities are pursuing multiple election-related investigations in coordination with the FBI and Department of Justice.
The investigations are separate from the mayoral race but have intensified public interest in California’s election procedures.
For many voters, the prolonged count has renewed debate over the state’s vote-by-mail system.
Supporters argue the system expands voter participation and access.
Critics question whether the process has become unnecessarily slow and complicated, leaving election outcomes unresolved for days or even weeks.
Taylor believes the discussion is likely to continue long after this election concludes.
“What can we do to improve elections?” Taylor asked. “Is there a way to keep voting accessible while also providing results faster? That’s a conversation California voters will continue having.”
Election officials are expected to release another major ballot update Saturday afternoon.
With nearly one-third of ballots still uncounted, both the Los Angeles mayoral race and the California governor’s contest could see significant changes before final results are known.
For Spencer Pratt, the next ballot drop may be the most important one yet.
