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

Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/los-angeles-mayor-karen-bass-advances-to-november-runoff-as-she-seeks-second-term Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advances to November runoff as she seeks second term Politics Jun 3, 2026 4:53 PM EDT 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. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. 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. READ MORE: A rare Trump setback, a missing congressman and Spencer Pratt: 6 takeaways from the latest midterm primaries 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 bec