Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will face City Council member Nithya Raman in a runoff election for Bass’ job in November, NBC News projects, teeing up a one-on-one matchup between two Democrats.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.Bass and Raman, who is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, emerged from a crowded all-party primary field that included former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican who ran an insurgent campaign focused on criticizing Bass for her response to the Los Angeles wildfires last year.See election results here.Since no candidate earned more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers go to a runoff this fall.NBC News previously projected Bass would advance to the general election.While Pratt was in second place behind Bass on election night, the successive vote tallies have been more Democratic-leaning, allowing Raman to surpass Pratt.
It’s part of a pattern all over California in this primary, with late-counted votes leaning more Democratic after a late surge in turnout by party members.Bass, a former member of Congress, was first elected mayor in 2022, when she defeated real estate developer Rick Caruso in an expensive race.But she faced backlash during and after last year’s destructive wildfires, including for being out of the country when they broke out.
The fires burned over 16,000 structures and, at times, fire hydrants and water tanks ran out of water, limiting efforts to fight the blaze.In March, 56% of respondents in a Los Angeles Times poll of the city said they had an unfavorable view of the mayor.It was against that backdrop that Raman decided earlier this year to launch a bid for mayor, despite close political ties with Bass.Raman had endorsed the incumbent for re-election prior to entering the race herself, and Bass backed Raman during her contested city council re-election campaign in 2024.During her campaign launch, Raman told s...