{"id":6875684,"date":"2026-05-28T18:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T01:25:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dailynews.com\/?p=6875684&preview=true&preview_id=6875684"},"modified":"2026-05-29T18:13:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T01:13:02","slug":"election-2026-la-mayoral-race-tightens-as-bass-raman-and-pratt-compete-for-runoff-spots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dailynews.com\/2026\/05\/28\/election-2026-la-mayoral-race-tightens-as-bass-raman-and-pratt-compete-for-runoff-spots\/","title":{"rendered":"Election 2026: LA mayoral race tightens as Bass, Raman and Pratt compete for runoff spots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass<\/a> entered the 2026 reelection race with the advantages of incumbency, support from much of the city\u2019s political establishment and decades of political experience.<\/p>\n

But as voters prepare to cast ballots in next week\u2019s primary election, Bass faces a more volatile political environment than many observers initially expected \u2014 one shaped by anger following the Palisades fire<\/a>, ongoing frustrations over homelessness and housing affordability, and the rise of challengers seeking to capitalize on distrust of City Hall.<\/p>\n

Among them is Councilmember Nithya Raman<\/a>, who has positioned herself as a progressive alternative focused on housing affordability and government reform, and former reality television star Spencer Pratt<\/a>, whose viral online campaign<\/a> has paired criticism of City Hall leadership with hardline positions on homelessness, policing and city services.<\/p>\n

While Bass remains widely viewed as the forerunner, recent polling suggests the race might be tightening heading into the final days before the June 2 primary. A UC Berkeley \u2013 L.A. Times poll released Thursday<\/a> found Bass at 26% among likely voters, followed closely by Raman at 25% and Pratt at 22%, while housing advocate Rae Huang<\/a> and tech entrepreneur Adam Miller<\/a> received 9% and 5%, respectively.<\/p>\n