Spencer Pratt's unconventional bid for Los Angeles mayor has concluded after he failed to secure a spot in the November general election. Multiple news outlets reported on Monday, June 8, that challenger Nithya Raman will officially advance to face Mayor Karen Bass in the November runoff.
The outcome marks the end of a closely watched race that captivated local and national attention as the reality television star sought to transition from entertainment to municipal governance.
"I'm incredibly honored that voters have given us the opportunity to advance to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles," Raman, 44, told Us Weekly in a Monday statement. "To the thousands of supporters who knocked doors, made calls, sent texts, donated, and opened their homes for events across the city, and to everyone else who made this moment possible: thank you, from the bottom of my heart."
The contest between Raman and Pratt, 44, centered on securing second place in the June 2 primary election. Under California election rules, the top two vote-getters advance to a general election unless one candidate receives more than 50 percent of the primary vote. With no candidate reaching that threshold, the race for second place determined who would challenge the incumbent mayor.
Pratt held an early second-place lead on election night, but his advantage diminished as mail-in ballots were received and counted throughout the following week. The Associated Press and other news organizations called the race for Raman on Monday, with final tallies showing her at 28.6 percent compared to Pratt's 25.8 percent. Mayor Bass, 72, secured a commanding lead with 34.3 percent of the vote and had already advanced to the November election last week.
The narrow margin between Raman and Pratt—less than three percentage points—reflected a competitive race that remained uncertain until mail-in ballots were fully processed. Election officials in California had anticipated the extended counting period, a standard procedure that allows time for all mail-in ballots to be received and verified.
In her statement following the race call, Raman outlined her campaign priorities for the general election. "Now our fight for a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continues," she said. "For too long, City Hall has prioritized giving political advantage to powerful interests that fund elections. Meanwhile, working people pay the price in higher rents, depleted services, and a city that has stopped working for them."
She concluded her statement with an appeal to voters: "If you're as frustrated by the broken status quo as I am, I hope you'll join our movement to build a city that works for everyone."
Earlier on Monday, Pratt attempted to reassure his supporters through social media, suggesting the race remained competitive despite the narrowing gap. "Folks, we're dealing with a fraction of a percentage point difference, there's still hundreds of thousands of votes outstanding, and LA officials have given us the next 3 weeks to count! Let's git-r-dun," he wrote on social media platform X.
The Pratt campaign had not responded to requests for comment as of Monday evening.
President Donald Trump, who endorsed Pratt last month, responded to the outcome by claiming without evidence that the election was fraudulent. "Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections," Trump, 79, wrote via Truth Social on Monday.
Pratt, a registered Republican, had resisted direct alignment with Trump during the campaign, insisting in May that "there's no R next to my name, there's no D next to my name." He ran for mayor as a nonpartisan community activist, seeking to distance himself from traditional party politics.
Election watchers in California had predicted before the June 2 primary that determining final vote totals could take days or weeks due to the process of counting mail-in ballots. The extended timeline is standard practice in California elections, where mail-in ballots postmarked by election day are counted if they arrive within a specified period.
The November general election will now feature a direct contest between Raman and Bass, with both candidates positioning themselves as champions of reform and improved city services. The outcome will determine Los Angeles leadership at a critical time as the city addresses challenges including housing affordability, public safety, and infrastructure development.