SouthernWorldwide.com – In a closely contested race for the Los Angeles City Council, Council member Nithya Raman has reportedly surpassed reality television personality Spencer Pratt in the latest vote tally released by the Associated Press. However, the AP has not officially declared a winner in the election.
Pratt, a Republican candidate, had initially held a lead earlier in the day. The most recent count, however, indicates that Raman, a Democrat, is now ahead by a margin exceeding 3,000 votes. This translates to approximately 0.4 percentage points in what is officially a nonpartisan mayoral race.
Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, also a Democrat, has already secured her spot in a runoff election as she seeks a second term. She is currently awaiting the identification of her opponent in the runoff, as the AP has not yet confirmed a second candidate to advance.
The process of counting ballots in California has been a subject of criticism. The Republican National Committee has highlighted the extended duration of the vote counting in Los Angeles County. County officials are tasked with completing the final official results by July 2, with the secretary of state set to certify these results by July 10.
In Los Angeles’s nonpartisan mayoral election, if no candidate achieves a majority in the primary election, the two candidates who receive the most votes will proceed to the runoff election in November.
Los Angeles County is continuing to tally ballots that were postmarked on or before Election Day and received by June 9. This prolonged counting period has drawn significant attention, including from the Republican National Committee.
The extended vote count in California is largely attributed to the state’s election laws. These laws allow for ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted even if they arrive up to seven days later. Additionally, election workers must meticulously verify signatures on all ballots and process any late-arriving votes.
The Republican National Committee’s website tracker, which monitors the time elapsed since polls closed, stated, “The California primary ended on June 2, 2026; yet California is still counting ballots.”
The RNC further criticized the state’s election system, asserting, “The state’s election system is a complete joke. The RNC is tracking every hour it takes California to finish the count.”
Spencer Pratt and other Republican figures have voiced their dissatisfaction with the ongoing ballot tabulation in the mayoral race. Election officials and voting experts, however, explain that California’s extended counting timeline is primarily a consequence of its mail-in ballot system, the necessity of signature verification, and the processing of ballots that arrive after the initial Election Day.
Former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy has also weighed in on the matter, questioning the reasons behind the prolonged count. He remarked, “Why did we get here? Gavin changed a number of election laws in which you want to see is what did he do and why did he cause it?”
