Die-hard Spencer Pratt supporters devastated by late vote surge as faith in election falters

Supporters of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt were left devastated by a dramatic surge in votes for socialist candidate Nithya Raman — upending what appeared to be the former reality TV star’s clear path to the November runoff.A flood of late-counted ballots has turned the race on its head, shrinking Pratt’s lead day after day and suddenly putting a Bass-Raman runoff in sight.The stunning shift left many voters scrambling to understand what happened.When The California Post told Pratt supporter Kenyatta Cole that Raman was rapidly closing in on Pratt’s runoff spot, he was initially at a loss for words.“No way,” Pratt supporter Kenyatta Cole said of Raman’s surge.“I’m in shock.

There’s just no way”Cole, whose family spent three generations working in the city’s now-defunct As-Needed Haul Truck Program, expressed frustration by the latest numbers and the pace of vote counting in Los Angeles.“Something has to change,” he said.“These ballots getting mailed out to everybody, that has to stop.”Nico Ruderman, a former state senate candidate and member Venice Neighborhood Council, said many voters are struggling to reconcile the latest results with what they saw on election night Tuesday.“It’s like being teased with hope and then having it ripped away,” he told The Post.Ruderman said the prolonged count is creating anxiety, regardless of who ultimately advances.“People need to believe in their elections.

The perception of integrity is just as important as the integrity itself,” he continued.“An election should be a time that brings people together.

The slow count creates mistrust.It creates more division at a time when this country is really struggling to be one.”Pratt supporter Sue Pascoe, founder of the local news site Circling the News and a Palisades fire survivor, said many residents had hoped the election would lead to results after almost a year and a half of frustration with City Hall.“Sixteen or 17 mon...