Nithya Raman edges out Spencer Pratt to face Karen Bass in LA mayoral runoff

“I am so grateful for your friendship and your support,” Raman responded.

Raman has largely dismissed questions about their personal history. “I don’t think we should talking about the future of LA in the context of friendship or betrayal,” she said in a previous statement to the Guardian. “We need to be talking about the issues that are facing us and how we can fix them.”

The next mayor will be tasked with showing progress in curbing the homelessness crisis, an issue that has long vexedLos Angeles, in revitalizing Hollywood amid a production exodus, and in shoring up emergency-response programs after last year’s deadly wildfires.

Prior to her time in city hall, Bass had been a fixture of state and national politics, serving respected tenures in the state assembly and in the US Congress. She defeated billionaire developer Rick Caruso in the 2022 mayoral race and became the first woman to lead Los Angeles.

Discontent with Bass’s tenure erupted following the deadly 2025 wildfires that ravaged Altadena and the Pacific Palisades. Bass was on an ill-timed diplomatic trip to Ghana when the massive fires broke out. Her absence, coupled with reports about budget cuts to the fire department, sparked a barrage of calls to resign.

Since then, Bass has fought to win back Angelenos’ support. But discontent over the city’s post-fire rebuilding, as well as the homelessness crisis, have not abated.

Raman, a democratic socialist, regards herself as the change needed to steer the city in the right direction. In 2020, she unseated councilman David Ryu in a victory that encouraged leftist candidates across the nation.She has touted her record capping rent increases and slashing encampments half-fold in her district, and has made housing central to her campaign, pushing for more development across LA.

While Bass and Raman are aligned on many issues, they have proposed different approaches to some of LA’s biggest issues. Bass has touted Inside Safe, a program that clears encampments and secures interim housing, typically motel rooms, for individuals living on the streets.

Raman, however, has said the program has spent money without results. She has proposed reforms to incorporate data and metrics for better oversight and accountability with homeless initiatives.

Bass and Raman have also clashed over Raman’s votes against a proposal to hire more firefighters after last year’s wildfires and an anti-homeless camping ordinance. (Raman has described the bill as a short-term fix).

Prominent California Democrats including Governor Gavin Newsom and former vice-president Kamala Harris have supported Bass’s re-election campaign, as have some of Raman’s progressive colleagues on the city council.

Polls leading up to election day showed Raman and Pratt in a tight race to challenge Bass in November’s election.

Pratt first rose to infamy on The Hills, a hit MTV show chronicling the life of 20-something year-olds in Los Angeles that aired between 2006 and 2010. His angry outbursts and tumultuous relationship with his now wife, costar Heidi Montag, earned him a reputation as one of reality TV’s most infamous villains.