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Dani Anguiano
On election night, Nithya Raman seemed as if she was prepared to lose the second spot in the Los Angeles mayoral race to the reality TV star Spencer Pratt, whose viral campaign appeared on track to upend the contest.
“Many thousands of votes will be counted in the days ahead, and we may not get an answer we like. But regardless of what happens next, nobody can take away what all of us have built together,” Raman, a progressive Democrat who sits on the LA city council, told her supporters.
Now in a twist fit for Hollywood, it is Raman who will be advancing to the November election to face off against her one-time political ally, incumbent mayor Karen Bass, for the chance to lead the second largest city in the US.
It was a shake-up in a race that has been defined by the unexpected. Raman rocked the Los Angeles political establishment in February when she threw her hat in the ring hours ahead of the deadline and just weeks after endorsing Bass in her re-election campaign.
Left-winger Nithya Raman sees off Republican to advance to LA mayor runoff
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.
She held 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.
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