Unexpected Shift in Los Angeles Mayoral Race Raises New Questions

By
Gregory McMullen
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The Los Angeles mayoral race has taken another unexpected turn, and many supporters of former reality TV star Spencer Pratt aren’t convinced the contest is over.

Earlier this week, City Councilwoman Nithya Raman pulled ahead of Pratt in the ongoing count from the June 2 primary. Following the shift, Decision Desk HQ and several other election-tracking organizations projected that Raman will move on to a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.


The update marked a sharp change from election night, when Pratt appeared to be in a stronger position to secure a spot in the general election.

The changing results have frustrated many of his supporters, who argue that projections are premature while a large number of ballots remain uncounted.

State election officials say roughly 2.4 million ballots across California are still being processed. Los Angeles County makes up a significant portion of that total, leaving several races — including the mayoral contest — unsettled until more votes are counted.


The situation has once again drawn attention to California’s vote-counting process. Under state law, mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can arrive afterward and still be counted. Election workers also continue reviewing provisional ballots and other outstanding votes for weeks after polls close. The election will not be officially certified until July 2.

For Pratt supporters, that raises an obvious question: if the count is still underway, why are media outlets calling races before every ballot has been processed?

The debate has energized Latinos Por Pratt, a grassroots group that has backed Pratt throughout the campaign and helped spread his message online.


Group organizers say their focus is not political rhetoric but a detailed review of election records and publicly available ballot data. Volunteers with technical and analytical backgrounds are being encouraged to assist with the effort, while local residents are helping verify information connected to voter rolls and addresses.

According to organizers, the goal is to gather and preserve information before the state’s certification deadline in case supporters decide to pursue legal action over any concerns they identify.


At this point, however, no evidence of widespread voter fraud has been presented. Election officials maintain that the process is working as designed and note that shifts in vote totals after Election Day are common because different types of ballots are counted on different schedules.

Even so, many voters remain skeptical after watching Pratt lead in the early returns only to see Raman gradually erase the deficit and move ahead.


For those supporters, the debate extends beyond the outcome of a single race. They see it as a question of public trust and whether voters can feel confident in an election process that often takes weeks to produce final results.


Pratt has given no indication that he plans to concede. Instead, his supporters continue to emphasize that the election remains uncertified and that any conclusions should wait until every valid ballot has been counted.

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