Nithya Raman ‘incredibly honoured’ to advance to LA mayor runoff after seeing off Republican - US politics live

Hello and welcome to the US politics live blog.

Left-wing candidate Nithya Raman said she was “incredibly honored” and would “fight for a healthier, safer” and “more joyful Los Angeles” as she edged out former reality TV villain Spencer Pratt in the city’s mayoral race.

The progressive LA city council member, advanced to the November runoff for LA mayor, where she will face the incumbent Karen Bass.

“I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Raman said in a statement posted on X.

“Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues,” she added.

Sheheld 28.5% of the votes as of late Monday, advancing past Republican Spencer Pratt who was at 25.8%, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk.

The incumbent Bass, who is seeking another term leading America’s second largest city, learned on 2 June’s primary election night she had secured enough votes to make it to the November election, but the race for second remained close for nearly a week.

She announced the win in a post on X, saying that “LA rejected Spencer Pratt and the MAGA agenda.”

However, Bass’s campaign released a statement on Monday night after hearing of Raman advancing. “A campaign against Nithya Raman, who allows encampments near schools and cuts the police force, is one Mayor Bass looks forward to winning,” said Douglas Herman, a strategist.

Read the full story here:

In other developments:

• Donald Trump was loudly booed when he was shown on the video screens at Madison Square Garden on Monday night before Game 3 of the NBA finals between the San Antonio Spurs and New York Knicks.
• Trump told supporters in South Carolina the end of the war with Iran is comming soon. “I think we are winning that battle, but you’re really going to win it over the next two weeks when we declare total victory. It’ll be a total victory,” said the president who routinely promises that things will happen in two weeks which never happen at all.
• In an interview at the National Press Club in Washington DC on Monday, Bernie Sanders, the socialist senator from Vermont, if he still supports . “I’m going to do everything I can to make sure Graham Platner is the next senator from the state of Maine,” Sanders said.