Pratt Overtaken
Reality Star Spencer Pratt Drops in LA Mayor's Race as Nithya Raman Overtakes Him
Spencer Pratt, the former MTV reality TV villain turned mayoral candidate, has dropped to third place in the Los Angeles mayor's race after a major ballot drop on June 7. Progressive City Councilwoman Nithya Raman now holds 27.12% with 196,198 votes, edging past Pratt's 26.69% and 193,085 votes — a margin of just 3,113 votes, according to USA Today.
The shift is dramatic. On election night, June 2, Pratt held a lead of roughly 41,000 votes over Raman. Within five days, that lead had completely reversed. Analysts now say Pratt's chances of reclaiming second place have fallen to around 1%.
How 41,000 Votes Vanished in Five Days
Early returns on election night put Pratt comfortably in second place. But California law allows mail-in ballots to count up to seven days after Election Day, as long as they are postmarked by Election Day. Those late ballots skew heavily progressive. By June 6, Pratt's lead had shrunk to just 7,494 votes — down from 41,000 in four days, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
Then came Sunday's ballot drop. Raman received 19,096 new votes in that batch. Pratt received only 8,489. That single update flipped the race. Political consultant Michael Trujillo called it "over" for Pratt, saying he "doesn't appear to be growing much more." Analyst Paul Mitchell noted that the demographic trend — younger, progressive mail-in voters — is unlikely to reverse with the ballots that remain.
Pratt Cries Foul, Trump Backs Him Up
Pratt has not accepted the shift quietly. On social media, he wrote: "A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday... They're not the only ones who know where to find votes." President Donald Trump echoed those concerns, alleging that California's universal vote-by-mail system has "structural vulnerabilities" and is being used to rig elections.
Federal authorities have also entered the picture. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed "multiple" federal probes into alleged voting fraud in California as of June 5, according to AZ Central. Conservative media framed Raman's gains as suspicious, while major outlets like the LA Times called it a standard, predictable outcome under state election law.
Raman's Rise and the Wildfire Origin Story
Nithya Raman is no stranger to stunning comebacks. In 2020, she became the first challenger in 17 years to defeat a sitting LA City Councilmember. Her current campaign has been powered by grassroots progressive support. Her campaign said they are "encouraged by the latest vote count and remain grateful to the thousands of Angelenos who have powered this campaign."
Pratt's campaign, by contrast, was built on personal loss. The January 2025 Palisades Fire destroyed his home, and he channeled that grief into a "law and order" message targeting Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom. Bass, the top vote-getter with 250,871 votes and 34.68%, is already confirmed for the runoff. Her camp took a shot at Raman, saying she "allows encampments near schools" while being "MIA on saving Hollywood jobs," according to Palm Beach Post.
What a Bass-Raman Runoff Would Mean for LA
If Raman holds on, November's general election will feature two Democrats — a mainstream incumbent versus a democratic socialist challenger. That result would lock out both Pratt and any Republican from the general election entirely. Betting market Polymarket now prices a Bass-Raman runoff as heavily favored, with 83.2% of expected votes already counted, per Herald Mail Media.
The runoff would force a citywide debate on homelessness policy, LAPD funding, and economic recovery — issues where Bass and Raman sharply disagree. Elsewhere on the ballot, conservative Steve Hilton sits in second place in the governor's race with 20.67%, ahead of billionaire Tom Steyer, adding another layer of political tension to California's ongoing election drama.
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