Nithya Raman Beats Out Spencer Pratt to Challenge LA Mayor Karen Bass

Nithya Raman will advance to the general election against incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, beating out reality TV star Spencer Pratt after nearly a week of vote counting.

Raman, a Los Angeles City Council member, held a lead of about 22,000 votes on Monday night over Pratt, according to The Associated Press, with roughly 93% of the votes counted.

“I’m incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Raman wrote in a statement issued shortly after the primary was called.

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

Because no candidate claimed a majority of the votes, the top two vote-getters now advance to November’s ballot. The race is officially nonpartisan.

Pratt, a former star of “The Hills,” was endorsed by President Donald Trump heading into the race; Trump had claimed without evidence that the slow vote count meant the election was “rigged.”

“Do you know why they’re doing that? Because they’re cheating on the election,” Trump said during an interview that aired Sunday on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

One of the reasons the vote count is slower is because much of California votes by mail, which means ballots can take longer to inspect.

Bass is vying for reelection despite harsh criticism about her leadership, stemming in large part from her handling of last year’s deadly wildfires.

Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom endorsed Bass, who served as speaker of the state Assembly and in the U.S. House before becoming mayor, just days before the primary. That backing followed an endorsement in early May by former Vice President Kamala Harris.

Raman — a progressive candidate who was recommended, but not formally endorsed, by the Democratic Socialists of America — has been on the City Council for six years. She had previously endorsed Bass weeks before announcing her own mayoral bid in February.

Pratt has made himself an outsize presence in the race since jumping into it in January. He targeted Bass from the earliest days of his campaign, saying that “business as usual is a death sentence” for the city. He lost his Palisades home in last year’s wildfires, laying the blame for the widespread devastation at Bass’ feet.