Raman Overtakes Pratt, Advances to LA Mayor Runoff (We knew this was going to happen)

Progressive Nithya Raman has clinched a spot in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff, Newsmax projects.

Raman, a City Council member, will face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, who is seeking a second term. Raman overtook former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, who had spent days in second place as votes continued to be counted.

Bass currently leads with 35%, followed by Raman at 27.12% and Pratt at 26.69%. Just 3,113 votes separate Raman and Pratt in the nonpartisan primary.

Bass, a former Democrat congresswoman, was first elected mayor in 2022 after defeating billionaire real estate developer Rick Caruso in one of the most expensive mayoral races in city history.

A former ally of Bass, Raman was elected to the City Council with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. Raman has campaigned on promises to reduce inequality, revive the slumping entertainment industry, and build more housing.

Pratt noted Sunday, as Raman began cutting into his lead, that more votes remain to be counted.

"Remember everyone ... we are still in the lead, and we've got allllllll the way til July 6th to keep counting," Pratt wrote on X. "They're not the only ones who know where to find votes."

The U.S. attorney's office in Los Angeles said Friday that it had opened "multiple election fraud investigations" related to California's elections and sent a prosecutor to the county's vote-counting center.

The developments came a day after President Donald Trump alleged widespread fraud in California's extended vote count following Tuesday's primary.

Under California law, mail ballots are valid if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at county election offices by June 9. California is known for vote counts that can take days to complete.

County elections officials must report final official results to the secretary of state by July 3.

ANOTHER 2020 😠