Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to November runoff as she seeks second term

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After a tough first term framed by the most destructive wildfire in city history and an ongoing struggle with widespread homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a November runoff Tuesday as she fights to stay in City Hall against challengers from both ends of the political spectrum.

“I appreciate you for standing with me when others doubted me, because you know who I am,” she told supporters. “I have devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love, where I was born, and I’m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November.”

The Associated Press has not yet called a second candidate to advance to the runoff. California has a history of substantial vote updates after Election Day that can sometimes shift the outcome as late-arriving mail and drop-off ballots are counted.

Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former star of the reality television show “The Hills,” was second in early returns. Pratt accuses Bass of letting the fires get out of control and failing to make enough progress on the homeless crisis.

Speaking to reporters outside a restaurant where he gathered with supporters, Pratt signaled he would welcome a matchup with Bass, a former member of Congress and the first Black woman to serve as mayor.

“This is not a candidate that I’m too concerned about,” he said.

“I got in this because as a citizen, I felt like my city failed — myself, my neighbors, my family,” Pratt said. “Mayor Bass has allowed the city to be covered in potholes. We don’t have sidewalks. We don’t have lights.”

“I’m an Angeleno who said ‘Enough is enough,’” Pratt said.

Bass has acknowledged that her time in office has been bumpy but pointed to reductions in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate in the nation’s second most populous city.

Running behind Bass and Pratt was Nithya Raman, a former ally of the mayor and a progressive city council member elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. A Democrat, Raman campaigned on promises to reduce inequality, revive the slumping entertainment industry and build more housing.

Political observers said a November runoff would be likely with 14 names on the ballot, including tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and community activist Rae Huang.

Bass defends her record

Pratt’s candidacy drew national attention as a barometer for dissatisfaction with liberal urban governance and because of viral videos that supporters created with artificial intelligence.

Bass lined up most of the Democratic establishment behind her, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, along with the city’s powerful labor unions.

Candidates made a rush of last-minute appeals to voters, urging them to cast ballots in an election that appeared headed for a light turnout. Bass made a swing through the heavily Hispanic Boyle Heights neighborhood, where she recalled federal immigration raids in which she said Pratt and Raman were “nowhere to be found.”

In online posts before polls closed, Pratt said the contest had become a two-person race between him and Bass and said a vote for either Raman or Miller would be wasted.

“At this point, it’s me and Karen,” Pratt said.

Voter Jose Rivera said he backed Bass because she deserves a second term to deliver on her promises: “She’s done a pretty good job in my opinion overall.”

Another, Leo Blain, said he was drawn to Raman’s progressive agenda and believes she can be effective at building coalitions in the diverse city.

“I think she has a really good understanding about how the city of LA works and would be a really effective mayor,” Blain said outside his polling place.

Los Angeles faces questions about its future

The race unfolded at an unsettled time for the city.

The mayor is still trying to overcome fallout from her absence when the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history ignited in a wealthy seaside neighborhood in January 2025. Bass was on a trip to Ghana as part of a presidential delegation. Pratt lost his home in the Palisades Fire, which killed 12 people. And some say the recovery is happening too slowly.

While statistics suggest that Bass has made headway on homelessness, makeshift encampments and rows of rusting RVs remain commonplace across the city. Complaints about the rising cost of living — whether for rent, taxes or groceries — are a constant refrain. Dirty, pocked streets and sidewalks abound.

Meanwhile Hollywood jobs have been decamping for years to more affordable filming locales. Trump administration immigration raids also shook the city.

Population in the once-booming region is falling — Los Angeles County lost about 54,000 people from July 2024 to July 2025, the largest numeric population drop in the nation, according to federal figures.

Crime statistics are down, but public safety is still an issue. World Cup games begin in Southern California in June, and Los Angeles is readying to host the 2028 Olympics. The federal government spearheads security at the Olympics, but there are already concerns that the Los Angeles Police Department will not have adequate funding or personnel to hold up its end of the job.

Bass has acknowledged making missteps but argued that a drop in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate show she is making progress. “I’ll keep fighting for LA,” she said.

Pratt has focused his campaign on reducing homelessness and boosting police ranks, arguing that an outsider is needed to shake up city hall. Looking to tap into voter frustration, he says he is “an Angeleno who’s had enough” and rails against “homeless drug zombies” on the streets.

He received a nod of approval — if not an actual endorsement — from President Donald Trump, who recently said, “I heard he’s a big MAGA person.”

That remark could haunt Pratt in a city where Trump is widely unpopular beyond his conservative base and Republicans account for less than 15% of registered voters.

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Associated Press writer Christopher Weber contributed.

Michael R. Blood, The Associated Press