Spencer Pratt's 40,000-Vote Lead Vanishes as Raman Surges Past
Intra-Party Split Detected
Progressive activists split between supporting Raman's pragmatic approach versus Rae Huang's more radical leftist platform, with some accusing Raman of splitting the progressive vote
Left says
- •California's mail-in ballot system is functioning as designed, with late-arriving ballots typically favoring Democratic candidates as more Democratic voters tend to return ballots closer to election deadlines
- •Trump and Pratt are promoting baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud without evidence, following a familiar pattern of undermining democratic processes when results don't favor their preferred candidates
- •Raman's victory represents a progressive challenge to the Democratic establishment, setting up an important intraparty debate about the future direction of Los Angeles governance
Right says
- •Raman's dramatic surge from a 40,000-vote deficit to victory through late ballot drops appears statistically improbable and raises legitimate questions about California's election integrity
- •California's week-long vote counting process is fundamentally flawed and creates opportunities for manipulation, with the state's loose voter registration requirements adding to concerns about ballot security
- •The pattern of late-arriving ballots consistently favoring one candidate over another suggests potential irregularities that warrant federal investigation
Common Take
High Consensus- California's vote counting process takes significantly longer than most other states, with results sometimes not finalized for weeks after Election Day
- Pratt held a substantial early lead that was completely erased as mail-in ballots continued to be counted over several days
- The race outcome will determine whether Bass faces a progressive challenger or would have faced a Republican in the November runoff
- Los Angeles faces significant challenges including homelessness, public safety concerns, and recovery from recent wildfire damage
The Arguments
Right argues
Raman's surge from a 40,000-vote deficit to victory through late ballot drops appears statistically improbable, with late-arriving ballots disproportionately favoring one candidate in a pattern that warrants investigation.
Left counters
California's mail-in ballot system consistently shows late-arriving ballots favoring Democratic candidates because Democratic voters are more likely to return ballots closer to deadlines, making this pattern predictable rather than suspicious.
Left argues
Trump and Pratt are promoting baseless conspiracy theories about election fraud without presenting any evidence, following their established pattern of undermining democratic processes when results don't favor their preferred candidates.
Right counters
Questioning dramatic vote swings and extended counting processes is legitimate oversight, especially when California's loose voter registration requirements and week-long counting create opportunities for irregularities that deserve federal scrutiny.
Left argues
Raman's victory represents an important progressive challenge to the Democratic establishment, setting up a meaningful intraparty debate about Los Angeles's future direction rather than a partisan battle.
Right counters
The real issue isn't partisan politics but election integrity - California's fundamentally flawed system that takes weeks to count votes and allows registration with minimal documentation undermines public confidence in democratic outcomes.
Right argues
California's election system is broken when it takes over a week to determine winners, creating extended periods where vote counting appears to consistently favor one party over another in ways that strain credibility.
Left counters
California's thorough vote-counting process ensures every valid ballot is counted, and the state's mail-in system functions exactly as designed - the extended timeline reflects careful verification, not manipulation.
Challenge Questions
These questions target genuine internal contradictions — meant to provoke honest reflection.
Right asks Left
“If California's mail-in ballot system is functioning properly as designed, why does the pattern of late-arriving ballots so consistently favor Democratic candidates that it can reliably reverse substantial Republican leads - doesn't this suggest the system itself creates partisan advantages rather than neutral vote counting?”
Left asks Right
“If you genuinely believe there are irregularities in California's vote counting, why focus only on races where Republicans lose rather than calling for comprehensive election reforms that would apply equally regardless of which party benefits from late ballot counts?”
Outlier Report
Left Fringe
Progressive activists celebrating this as a victory against 'fascism' and calling for investigations into Pratt's funding sources represent about 15% of the left coalition.
Right Fringe
Trump, Benny Johnson, Robby Starbuck, and Nick Sortor promoting explicit fraud claims without evidence represent about 25% of the right, with most mainstream Republicans expressing concern about counting delays but stopping short of fraud allegations.
Noise Assessment
High noise ratio - much of the 'rigged election' discourse is performative amplification by political figures and commentators, while most ordinary Americans are simply waiting for final results without assuming fraud.
Sources (27)
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/absolutely-rigged-critics-question-ramans-statistically-impossible-surge-past-pratt-in-la-mayor-race.jpg?id=66879505&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt remains optimistic about his chances in the Los Angeles mayoral race despite losing his <a href="https://x.com/MattSeedorff/status/2063774148523147669?s=20" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">40,000-vote</a> <a href="https://www.c-span.org/program/campaign-2026/los-angeles-mayoral-candidate-nithya-raman-election-night-concession-speech/680316" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">lead</a> and second-place position to far-left L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman.</p><p>Critics of California’s delayed vote-counting are raising concerns that the primary election may have been stolen from Pratt, as the process has already dragged on for nearly a week.</p><p class="pull-quote">'Raman has conveniently received a WILDLY disproportionate amount of "late mail-in ballots" compared to both Bass and Pratt.'</p><p>Pratt’s nearly 10-point advantage over Raman on Election Day slowly shrank in the days following, with Raman eventually taking the lead. As of Monday, Raman is up 3,000 votes, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/los-angeles-california-general-results-mayor/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>.</p><p>“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!” Pratt wrote in a <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2064033671753982019" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post</a> on social media on Monday.</p><p>President Donald Trump chimed in on the latest ballot results, <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116715381418144428" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">calling</a> it “not possible” for Pratt to have lost to Raman “after the big lead he had.”</p><p>“3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections!” Trump wrote. “Won’t have results for, possibly, TWO WEEKS, according to officials.”</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/spencer-pratts-40000-vote-lead-vanishes-in-los-angeles-mayor-race-as-california-continues-counting-ballots" target="_blank"><strong>Spencer Pratt’s 40,000-vote lead vanishes in Los Angeles mayor race as California continues counting ballots</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="1b980" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=66879507&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Nithya Raman. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images</small></p><p>Political commentator Benny Johnson <a href="https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2063780294683959626?s=20" target="_blank">stated</a> that the recent ballot drops heavily favoring Raman were “statistically impossible.”</p><p>Conservative activist Robby Starbuck <a href="https://x.com/robbystarbuck/status/2063602942637158423" target="_blank">noted</a> that Raman, a third-place candidate, “suddenly” began winning “1st in every new ballot drop.” He shared a graph showing incumbent Karen Bass gaining roughly the same percentage of votes with each new ballot drop while Raman surged. </p><p>Journalist Nick Sortor <a href="https://x.com/nicksortor/status/2063773517007527990" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">declared</a> the election “absolutely RIGGED” and called for authorities to open an investigation.</p><p>“Raman has conveniently received a WILDLY disproportionate amount of ‘late mail-in ballots’ compared to both Bass and Pratt,” Sortor wrote.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/big-cheating-trump-drops-bombshell-on-california-for-vote-counting-delays" target="_blank"><strong>‘BIG cheating’: Trump drops bombshell on California for vote-counting delays</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="5e663" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=66879508&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Spencer Pratt. Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images</small></p><p>Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116690093479247202" target="_blank">announced</a> last week that the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles was investigating California’s vote-counting delay. </p><p>On Sunday, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli <a href="https://x.com/USAttyEssayli/status/2063664190473351169" target="_blank">stated</a> that California allows residents to register to vote using gym membership cards, employee ID cards, credit and debit cards, insurance cards, and prescription drug labels.</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em> </p>
<img src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/spencer-pratts-40000-vote-lead-vanishes-in-los-angeles-mayor-race-as-california-continues-counting-ballots.jpg?id=66877794&width=1245&height=700&coordinates=0%2C0%2C0%2C0" /><br /><br /><p>Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt was on track to advance to the November general election for mayor of Los Angeles against incumbent Karen Bass. However, over the weekend, third-place challenger L.A. City Councilwoman Nithya Raman began to make substantial gains amid California’s week-long vote-counting process.</p><p>Pratt appeared to have a strong lead over Raman on Wednesday, one day after the election, with over 40,000 more votes. That lead slowly shrank over the next several days, dropping to a 33,000-vote lead on Friday.</p><p class="pull-quote">'43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before...?'</p><p>Raman jumped from roughly 111,000 votes on <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20260603230334/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/los-angeles-mayor-results" target="_blank">Wednesday</a> to 197,000 as of Monday morning, allowing her to squeak past Pratt by just over 3,000 votes, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/projects/elections-2026/los-angeles-california-general-results-mayor/" target="_blank">Associated Press</a>.</p><p>“On election night, Pratt led Raman by about 40,000 votes — roughly a 10-point advantage,” KTTV reporter Matthew Seedorff <a href="https://x.com/MattSeedorff/status/2063774148523147669" target="_blank">stated</a>. “As of tonight, Raman now leads Pratt by about 3,100 votes, a net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday.”</p><p>“43,000, huh? Where have I seen that number before...?” Pratt replied in a <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2063784193688056310" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">post</a> on social media, sharing a screenshot of a March article about the 43,699 homeless people living in Los Angeles. “Probably nothing.”</p><p>Nearly one week after Election Day, California has counted only 83% of the votes.</p><p>The AP has not yet reported who will go head-to-head with Bass in the runoff race.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/spencer-pratt-and-nithya-raman-shrink-karen-bass-lead-in-tight-race-for-la-mayor-poll" target="_blank"><strong>Spencer Pratt and Nithya Raman shrink Karen Bass’ lead in tight race for LA mayor: Poll</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="c67b3" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=66847209&width=1245&height=700&quality=50&coordinates=0%2C53%2C0%2C54" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images</small></p><p>The final polls leading up to the election showed the three candidates separated by a few points.</p><p>A <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/spencer-pratt-and-nithya-raman-shrink-karen-bass-lead-in-tight-race-for-la-mayor-poll" target="_self">survey</a> conducted May 19-24 by the University of California Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies and co-sponsored by the Los Angeles Times gave Bass just a one-point lead over Raman and a four-point lead over Pratt, which the Times referred to as “statistically insignificant” for the incumbent mayor.</p><p>When asked which issues matter most to them, nearly all of the surveyed Pratt supporters expressed concern about waste and political corruption, as well as crime and public safety. Meanwhile, Bass and Raman supporters, who provided similar responses, stated that they prioritize protecting immigrants, moving the homeless indoors, and building more affordable housing.</p><p><strong>RELATED: </strong><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/shows/the-liz-wheeler-show/democrats-unleash-secret-weapon-to-go-after-spencer-pratt-in-a-last-ditch-effort-to-end-his-campaign" target="_blank"><strong>Democrats unleash ‘secret weapon’ to go after Spencer Pratt in a last-ditch effort to end his campaign</strong></a></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image"> <img alt="" class="rm-shortcode" id="ef7c3" src="https://www.theblaze.com/media-library/image.jpg?id=66847215&width=980" /> <small class="image-media media-photo-credit">HIGHFIVE/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images</small></p><p>While the mayoral race is nonpartisan, Pratt, a registered <a href="https://x.com/spencerpratt/status/2009374818471432231?s=20" target="_blank">Republican</a>, has run an impressive campaign in the Democratic stronghold city where only 15% of the population is <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2026-05-28/poll-shows-bass-raman-pratt-in-tight-race-for-mayor" target="_blank">registered</a> as Republican.</p><p>Voters will begin receiving mail-in ballots for the general election in early <a href="https://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/upcoming-elections/general-election-november-3-2026" target="_blank">October</a>.</p><p><em><em>Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. </em></em><a href="https://www.theblaze.com/newsletters/theblaze-articlelink" target="_self"><em><em>Sign up here</em></em></a><em><em>!</em></em></p>
'Where have I seen that number before?'
Leftist Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman will advance to the November mayoral election after nearly a week of counting late-arriving ballots, locking Republican Spencer Pratt out of the race. Monday’s vote drop gave Raman a nearly three-point lead over Pratt, a stunning turnaround for the leftist who had trailed Pratt by more than nine ...
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump doesn’t believe that Spencer Pratt really lost the Los Angeles mayoral primary. “Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had,” Trump said on Monday afternoon. “3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections! Now they’ll be working on great guy Steve Hilton. Won’t have ...
Spencer Pratt responded with skepticism Sunday night as his socialist opponent overtook him in the Los Angeles mayoral race after days of vote counting that has led to Republicans calling for major election reforms in California. Leftist councilwoman Nithya Raman officially jumped out in front of Pratt on Sunday after mail-in ballot dumps throughout the ...
Leftist Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman will advance to the November mayoral election after nearly a week of counting late-arriving ballots, locking Republican Spencer Pratt out of the race. Sunday’s vote drop surged Raman past Pratt for the first time, a stunning turnaround for the leftist who trailed Pratt by more than nine points ...
Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman has overtaken Spencer Pratt in the latest AP vote count, leading by more than 3,000 votes in the race.
Spencer Pratt's lead over Nithya Raman in the L.A. mayoral race has slimmed to just 1% as late ballot counting continues days after election day.
The progressive candidate surged past the former reality star as mail-in votes continue to be counted.
Raman advanced to the general election with 28.6% of the vote, according to the Associated Press, compared to Pratt's 25.8%, with 93% of the vote counted.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass secured one of the general election slots last week but failed to secure the 50% necessary to automatically be reelected.
<p>"As long as I count the Votes, what are you going to do about it? Say?" </p> The post <a href="https://legalinsurrection.com/2026/06/decision-desk-projects-nithya-raman-to-claim-second-spot-in-la-mayoral-race/">Decision Desk Projects Nithya Raman to Claim Second Spot in LA Mayoral Race</a> first appeared on <a href="https://legalinsurrection.com">Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion</a>.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will face City Council member Nithya Raman in a runoff election for Bass’ job in November, NBC News projects, teeing up a one-on-one matchup between two Democrats
Progressive city councilmember Nithya Raman has advanced to a November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, setting up an unexpected matchup between two Democrats and former political allies to run the struggling city of nearly 4 million.
Nithya Raman, a progressive Democrat who entered the mayoral race at the last minute, secured the second spot to face Mayor Karen Bass in November. Her comeback sets up an intraparty battle.
Despite his initial overwhelming lead, Spencer Pratt has been surpassed in ballots by City Councilwoman Nithya Raman in the race to be Los Angeles city mayor—prompting criticism from Pratt supporters and renewed scrutiny of California’s vote-counting process. Pratt held a lead on election night, receiving as much as 30% of the vote at one point....
<p>Progressive challenger to face incumbent mayor in November as former reality star Pratt trails behind</p><p>Nithya Raman, a progressive Los Angeles city council member, has advanced to the November runoff for LA mayor, edging out former reality TV villain Spencer Pratt for the chance to face incumbent mayor Karen Bass.</p><p>Pratt, who decided to run for mayor after his Pacific Palisades home burned down in the 2025 wildfires, held a lead over Raman for days. But as ballot processing from last week’s election continued, the city councillor pulled ahead.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/08/karen-bass-nithya-raman-los-angeles-mayoral-race">Continue reading...</a>
<p>Progressive and former reality TV star have been battling for the number two spot to face off against Karen Bass</p><p>Nithya Raman, the progressive Los Angeles city councillor, appeared to be edging out Spencer Pratt in the LA mayoral race challenging Karen Bass as Donald Trump continues to repeat falsehoods that California elections are “rigged”.</p><p>The pair have been battling for the number two spot to face off against the incumbent, who already secured enough votes to advance to a runoff in November. Pratt, a former reality TV star, held a lead over Raman for days, but as ballot processing from last week’s election continued, the city councillor has pulled ahead.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jun/08/la-mayoral-race-california-elections-vote-counting-continues">Continue reading...</a>
Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman (D) is set to battle Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) in the city’s mayoral race later this year, a race that is likely to feature intraparty tension amid a broader discussion about the future of the Democratic Party. According to Decision Desk HQ, Bass was sitting at 34.32 percent…
President Trump’s favored candidate to become Los Angeles mayor looks like he won’t even make the runoff — a reality that has provoked a barrage of unsubstantiated claims of fraud from the commander in chief. Votes are still being counted in the nation’s second-largest city, where a high proportion of ballots are customarily cast by…
Los Angeles’s registered Democrats waited until “the last minute” to cast their ballots in the June 2 primary election as they sorted out their options for California governor. And that down-to-the-wire vote had consequences in how the mayoral race results were reported,  according to Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ). On Sunday, DDHQ projected Los Angeles City Council member…
Republican Spencer Pratt said Monday that “hundreds of thousands of votes” remain outstanding in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, after Decision Desk HQ (DDHQ) projected that city councilmember Nithya Raman (D) will take on incumbent mayor Karen Bass (D) in the November general election.  “Folks, we’re dealing with a fraction of a percentage point difference,…
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Democrat Nithya Raman are projected to face off to lead the country’s second largest city this November, according to Decision Desk HQ.  With 87 percent of votes in, Bass is at 34.68 percent, and Raman is at 27.12 percent, according to Decision Desk HQ. The June 2 results…
Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman (D) has gained on former reality star and Republican mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt in the race for Los Angeles’s top job, according to Decision Desk HQ. On Sunday evening, Raman was in third for the race behind Pratt and current mayor Karen Bass (D), per Decision Desk HQ, sitting at…
<p>City Councilmember Nithya Raman will face off against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November general election.</p> <p>The post <a href="https://theintercept.com/2026/06/08/la-mayor-results-raman-bass-pratt/">Democratic Socialist Overcomes GOP-Funded Opponent to Advance in Los Angeles Mayor Race</a> appeared first on <a href="https://theintercept.com">The Intercept</a>.</p>