Ballot counting continued Friday following Los Angeles’ June 2 primary election, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass maintaining a lead and securing a place in the November runoff election.
According to the latest available results, Bass holds approximately 35% of the vote. Spencer Pratt remains in second place with about 29%, while Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman follows with roughly 23% as election officials continue processing outstanding ballots.
With no candidate receiving more than 50% of the vote, the race will move to a runoff election scheduled for Nov. 3. California’s election system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation.
ABC News projects that Bass will advance to the runoff, while the contest for the second spot remains unsettled as additional ballots are counted. As of Friday, Pratt maintains an advantage over Raman, though election officials have not yet certified final results.
The mayoral field included 14 candidates, but Bass, Pratt and Raman emerged as the leading contenders throughout the final weeks of the campaign. Key issues in the race included homelessness, housing affordability, public safety, wildfire recovery and city services.
Bass, elected mayor in 2022, is seeking a second term. Pratt, a television personality and entrepreneur, mounted an unexpectedly competitive campaign that drew significant attention during the primary season. Raman, who serves on the Los Angeles City Council, entered the race in February and quickly became a major challenger.
Election officials are expected to continue updating vote totals over the coming days as mail-in and provisional ballots are processed. California law allows ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within the designated deadline.
As of June 5, the unofficial results show:
• Karen Bass — approximately 35%
• Spencer Pratt — approximately 29%
• Nithya Raman — approximately 23%
• Remaining candidates — approximately 13% combined
The winner of the November runoff will serve as mayor of Los Angeles for the next four-year term.
