Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to November runoff

Incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass led the June 2‑3, 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary with about 34‑37% of the vote, but no candidate reached the 50% threshold, triggering a top‑two runoff in November. Early returns placed reality‑TV personality Spencer Pratt in second place with roughly 30% of the vote, while City Councilmember Nithya Raman trailed in third with about 22%. Over 60% of ballots were counted and tens of thousands of mail‑in votes remain, which could affect the final second‑place finish.

The race is framed by ongoing challenges in the city: a homelessness and affordable‑housing crisis, public‑safety concerns, and criticism of Bass’s response to the destructive January 2025 Palisades fire that killed 12 people. Bass has the backing of the California Democratic establishment, labor unions, business groups and major political figures, while Pratt has campaigned on opposition to Bass’s policies and cites his own loss of a home in the fire. Raman runs on a progressive platform focused on housing equity and social services. The outcome will shape policy direction for Los Angeles ahead of the 2028 Olympics and continued recovery from recent disasters.