Spencer Pratt’s Election Night lead in the LA mayoral race is erased as Nithya Raman reportedly pulls ahead by roughly 3,000 votes in later counting

Nithya Raman has moved ahead of Spencer Pratt in the race for Los Angeles mayor, wiping out the large lead Pratt held on Election Night. The latest ballot counts show Raman now leads by about 3,000 votes. The shift prompted Decision Desk HQ to project that she will move on to the general election.

As things stand, Raman is now set to face current Mayor Karen Bass in November, according to Decision Desk. The change in the count stands out compared to the first numbers reported last week. On Election Night, Pratt held a 40,000 vote lead over Raman, which gave him a 10 point edge at that point. 

That lead created a hopeful mood at Pratt’s headquarters, where the campaign celebrated with drinks as results came in. For Raman, the night looked grim, and she appeared visibly emotional while speaking to her supporters.

Late-arriving ballots reshaped the count over several days

Mediaite points out that the shift came as officials processed late-arriving ballots over the following days. Those ballots favored Raman, which let her pass Pratt and lock in her place in the coming runoff. Pratt, a former reality TV star, had built his campaign largely on his criticism of the city’s response to the wildfires that destroyed his home and 12,000 other buildings in early 2025. 

He also repeatedly targeted the current administration over its approach to the homelessness crisis in Los Angeles. The campaign has drawn pushback from public figures, including Pratt’s exchange with Jimmy Kimmel.

Pratt addressed the sudden change in the numbers on Sunday. He shared an article that noted there were 43,699 homeless people in the city and added a caption on X that read, “A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday..” 43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before… ? Probably nothing.” The comment appears to question the fast change in the vote count after the first results.

The tone marks a sharp contrast to the confidence his campaign showed just days earlier, when he seemed set to finish in the top two. The race has also drawn attention from celebrity backers, including Magic Johnson’s LA mayoral endorsement.

Mayor Karen Bass has already turned her attention toward the new shape of the race. Her team appears to be preparing for a different opponent in the months ahead. Alex Stack, a spokesperson for Bass, issued a statement on Sunday evening about the change. 

“We look forward to winning a contest against an opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA,” Stack said.

The statement suggests the campaign will likely focus on the policy differences between the current mayor and her new challenger. With the field now narrowed, attention moves to the contest between Bass and Raman. Voters will decide the final round of this election cycle in November.