City Council member Nithya Raman will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November runoff for Los Angeles mayor.
The outcome sets the stage for a high-stakes contest between two prominent political figures in the U.S. city, determining the future direction of municipal policy and governance.
Raman advanced to the runoff after defeating Republican and reality-TV personality Spencer Pratt in the June primary. Under the top-two primary system used in Los Angeles, the two candidates who receive the highest number of votes advance to the general election regardless of party affiliation.
According to primary results, Raman secured more votes than Pratt to claim the second spot on the ballot. This result eliminates Pratt from the race and narrows the field to Raman and Bass.
The runoff election is scheduled for November 2026 [1].
Bass, the incumbent mayor, now prepares to defend her seat against Raman, who has served on the City Council. The transition from the primary to the runoff marks a shift in the race's dynamics, moving from a multi-candidate field to a direct head-to-head competition.
Both candidates will spend the coming months campaigning across the city to secure a majority of the vote in November. The race will focus on the priorities of the city's leadership as the November 2026 [1] deadline approaches.
“Nithya Raman will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November runoff”
The shift to a runoff between Raman and Bass indicates a consolidation of the electorate around established political figures rather than an outside challenger like Spencer Pratt. Because Los Angeles uses a nonpartisan top-two system, the final contest will be decided by which candidate can build a broader coalition of voters across the city's diverse political spectrum by November.
