Nithya Raman, a Democratic city councilmember, has overtaken reality television personality Spencer Pratt for second place in the Los Angeles mayoral primary as additional mail-in ballots were counted.
The shift has triggered accusations of election fraud from supporters of President Donald Trump’s MAGA movement.
With 83.2% of expected votes tallied as of Sunday, June 7, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass led with 250,871 votes (34.7%). Raman followed with 196,198 votes (27.1%), ahead of Pratt’s 193,085 votes (26.7%) by 3,113 votes.
Roughly 146,000 ballots remain to be counted, according to county officials. Bass has already secured a place in the November 3 general election runoff, while the second-place finisher has not yet been finalized.
Mail-In Ballots Shift Momentum
The shift unfolded over several days of incremental updates from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. On election night, June 2, Pratt held a strong lead over Raman.
Also Read: Los Angeles Garage Blast Kills 1 as Bomb Squad Responds to Fireworks Explosion
However, subsequent batches of mail-in ballots, allowed under California law to be postmarked by Election Day and counted over several days, favored Raman.
In one recent update, Raman reportedly gained more than twice as many votes as Pratt from a single batch, narrowing and eventually reversing the gap.
Political Divide in Los Angeles
Pratt, a Republican and former The Hills star, ran as an outsider focusing on homelessness, crime, and the city’s response to recent wildfires. His campaign drew national attention and support from some conservative commentators.
Raman, a progressive city councilmember and former ally of Mayor Karen Bass, positioned herself to the left on housing policy and police reform, appealing to progressive voters in the city.
MAGA Figures React
The changing vote totals prompted strong reactions from MAGA-aligned commentators on social media.
Laura Loomer described the situation as “egregious” and claimed Pratt was “robbed.” Andrew Kolvet of Turning Point USA questioned the vote patterns, while Dana Loesch called it a “stolen election in broad daylight.” Lawyer Mike Davis posted “Total. F——. Fraud.”
Conservative pundit Jesse Kelly also linked the outcome to broader criticisms of California governance.
Also Read: Trump Deploys 2,000 More National Guard Troops in Los Angeles
Elon Musk amplified some of the skepticism on X, though election officials have reported no irregularities beyond standard ballot processing procedures.
Claims of fraud have circulated despite established safeguards including signature verification and chain-of-custody tracking.
Los Angeles Race
Los Angeles remains a strongly Democratic city, with Mayor Karen Bass seeking a second term amid ongoing challenges including homelessness and public safety concerns. Pre-election polling indicated a tight race among the top candidates.
Officials continue processing mail and provisional ballots in batches, a routine procedure that often extends vote counting in large urban counties. Certification is expected in late June.
The November runoff will pit Bass against either Raman or Pratt, depending on the final certified results. Election officials have emphasized that the counting process remains standard and transparent.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and X Account for real-time news updates.
