Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, a Democrat, has taken a narrow lead for second place over former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican, in the race to take on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in a runoff this fall.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.NBC News projected Bass’ advancing to the runoff last week, but the outstanding question, as the city and the state continue counting ballots, is whom she will face and what kind of matchup that will be.NBC News hasn’t projected the winner of the other spot in the runoff.The picture as it looked on election night has changed in recent days.Pratt, who has challenged Bass from the right in the nonpartisan mayoral race, has seen his hold on the second-place slot evaporate as Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, caught up.In an emotional speech to supporters on election night, Raman said were still many ballots to count, “and we may not get an answer we like.
But regardless of what happens next, nobody, nobody can take away what all of us have built together.”But Raman has closed the gap significantly with each successive update from Los Angeles election authorities since Wednesday.By Friday night, she had cut Pratt’s advantage almost in half, to just over 20,000 votes.
And on Sunday night, she overtook Pratt by a few thousand votes in the latest update.It’s part of a pattern all over California since primary night: Democrats have gained more votes as the state’s slow counting process continues, after a late surge in Democratic turnout.Other examples of the pattern include the open governor’s race — in which former Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra is in first place and, NBC News projected Friday, has secured a spot in the general election — as well as key congressional campaigns, like the 6th District race in the Sacramento area, a seat Democrats redrew to flip it this fal...