The Los Angeles mayoral race has taken an unexpected turn as Nithya Ramana progressive city councilmember, has advanced to the November runoff. She will face incumbent Mayor Karen Basswho secured her spot in the runoff on election night. The primary race was marked by intense competition and controversial claims, with former reality TV star Spencer Pratt initially leading before Raman’s late surge.
Raman’s journey to the runoff was far from smooth. As a member of the Los Angeles chapter of the Democratic Socialists of Americashe faced criticism from both sides of the political spectrum. Pratt, her main rival, attempted to portray her as an out-of-touch ideologue, while her progressive peers on the city council endorsed Bass. Despite these challenges, Raman consolidated support in younger, racially diverse, and college-educated neighborhoods, highlighting the gap between online momentum and actual electoral infrastructure.
Pratt’s early lead and subsequent claims of election fraud
Pratt initially took an early lead on election night, but as late-arriving ballots were counted, Raman’s support grew. This shift led Pratt to hint at election integrity issues, a claim echoed by prominent conservatives including President Donald Trump and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Political commentator Glenn Greenwald refuted these claims, stating that the election fraud theories in LA made no sense for several reasons.
The prediction markets, such as Polymarket and Kalshihad shown Pratt with strong odds of advancing to the runoff, despite limited public polling. This created a self-reinforcing cycle of internet popularity driving betting activity, which in turn generated headlines and the appearance of political momentum. However, as the race started slipping away, Pratt’s content machine slowed dramatically, and he began blocking critics on social media.
Bass’s campaign strategy and the issues at stake
Mayor Bass’s campaign has already turned its sights on Raman, echoing attacks used by Pratt during the primary. Bass’s strategist, Douglas Hermanreleased a statement on Monday night, expressing Bass’s eagerness to win against Raman, who has been criticized for allowing encampments near schools and cutting the police force. The Next mayor will be tasked with addressing the homelessness crisis, revitalizing Hollywood, and shoring up emergency-response programs after last year’s deadly wildfires.
Before her time in city hall, Bass had been a fixture of state and national politics, serving respected tenures in the state assembly and in the US Congress. She made history as the first woman to lead Los Angeles, triumphing over the billionaire developer Rick Caruso in the 2026 election. However, discontent with her tenure erupted following the deadly 2026 wildfires, which ravaged Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. Bass was on an ill-timed diplomatic trip to Ghana when the huge fires broke out, sparking a barrage of calls to resign.
Raman’s progressive agenda and the challenges ahead
Raman, a democratic socialist, regards herself as the change needed to steer the city in the right direction. She has touted her record capping rent increases and slashing encampments by half in her district, and has made housing central to her campaign, pushing for more development across LA. While Bass and Raman are aligned on many issues, they have proposed different approaches to some of LA’s biggest challenges, such as homelessness and emergency response programs.
The lasting lesson of the Pratt campaign may be that social media can manufacture momentum and distort perceptions of viability. However, elections still require broad coalitions that extend beyond the algorithmically engaged. As the city awaits the final results, the focus remains on the critical issues facing Los Angeles and the leaders who will address them.
