L.A. Mayor's Race Heats Up as Pratt and Raman Close In on Bass
The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral race has defied early predictions, turning into a fiercely contested battle. What once seemed like a straightforward contest now pits incumbent Karen Bass against two unexpected challengers—reality TV personality Spencer Pratt and City Councilwoman Niythia Raman. Recent polls show the gap between them narrowing as election day approaches. A year ago, Karen Bass appeared politically weakened after heavy criticism of City Hall’s handling of the January firestorm. Many assumed her re-election bid would struggle. Yet she retained strong backing from labour unions and Latino voters, keeping her campaign afloat.
The race took its first major turn when Niythia Raman, a progressive councilwoman from Silver Lake, entered the contest. Though she energised left-leaning supporters, her appeal remained limited beyond her core base. Meanwhile, billionaire developer Rick Caruso and reality TV star Spencer Pratt both considered running, but only Pratt followed through. Initially dismissed as a novelty candidate, Pratt’s campaign gained momentum through AI-generated videos and endorsements from non-MAGA figures. By May, an Emerson College poll placed him in second, ahead of Raman but behind Bass. A U.C. Berkeley/L.A. Times poll released this Thursday confirmed the tight race: Bass at 26%, Raman at 25%, and Pratt at 22% among likely voters. With election day nearing, the outcome remains uncertain. Any of the three frontrunners could still pull ahead in what has become one of the most unpredictable mayoral contests in recent L.A. history.
The latest polling shows Karen Bass clinging to a narrow lead, but both Niythia Raman and Spencer Pratt remain within striking distance. The race’s volatility has kept political observers guessing, with no clear favourite as voters prepare to cast their ballots. The final result could hinge on last-minute shifts in support among the city’s diverse electorate.
