Spencer Pratt‘s campaign for Los Angeles mayor appears to be over.
Reports from several sources on Monday, June 8, indicated that Nithya Raman, Pratt’s competitor, will progress to a direct contest with Mayor Karen Bass in November.
“I am deeply honored that voters have given us the chance to move forward to the general election for Mayor of Los Angeles,” Raman, 44, told Us Weekly in a statement released Monday. “To the thousands of supporters who knocked on doors, made calls, sent texts, donated, and hosted events across the city, and to everyone else who made this possible: thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
During the June 2 primary, Raman and Pratt, both 44, were vying for a second-place finish, which would allow one of them to advance to the November general election against Mayor Bass, 72. (Under California law, the top two vote recipients advance to the general election unless a candidate secures more than 50 percent of the primary vote.)
Initially, Pratt held a second-place position on election night, but his lead diminished as mail-in ballots were counted. On Monday, the Associated Press and other media outlets declared Raman the second-place runner with 28.6 percent of the vote compared to Pratt’s 25.8 percent. Meanwhile, Bass secured a strong lead with 34.3 percent, having already qualified for the November election the previous week.
In a statement on Monday, Raman expressed, “Our efforts to create a healthier, safer, more affordable, and more joyful Los Angeles continue. For too long, City Hall has favored the political interests of powerful groups financing elections. Meanwhile, residents face the consequences of rising rents, reduced services, and a city that no longer serves them.”
She added, “If you are as frustrated with the current state of affairs as I am, I invite you to join our movement to build a city that works for everyone.”
Us Weekly has sought comments from Pratt’s campaign team.
Spencer Pratt; Nithya Raman Getty Images (2); Dimitrios Kambouris; Justin Sullivan
Earlier on Monday, Pratt attempted to calm his supporters by indicating that his campaign team was not conceding.
“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,” he tweeted.
President Donald Trump — who endorsed Pratt last month — responded to Pratt’s declining position in the L.A. mayoral race by alleging, without evidence, that the race was rigged. (Pratt, a registered Republican, distanced himself from Trump, 79, stating in May that “there’s no R next to my name, there’s no D next to my name.” He ran for mayor as a nonpartisan community activist.)
Spencer Pratt has fired back at criticism of a new attack ad in his Los Angeles mayoral campaign. On Wednesday, April 29, the former Hills star released a campaign ad filmed outside the homes of two of his opponents in the upcoming mayoral primary: current Mayor Karen Bass and Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman. […]
“Not possible for Spencer Pratt to have lost the L.A. runoffs after the big lead he had. 3rd World Nation. Rigged Elections,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Monday.
Before the June 2 primary, election analysts in California anticipated that determining the final vote counts could take days or weeks due to the extensive process of counting mail-in ballots.
