Nithya Raman, a Democrat and Los Angeles City Council member, has gained a narrow lead over former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, a registered Republican, in the race for a spot in the Los Angeles mayoral runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. As of June 7, 2026, the counting of ballots continues, with Raman overtaking Pratt by a few thousand votes after initially trailing by over 20,000. Raman's campaign has seen increased support as more ballots are counted, reflecting a trend of Democratic gains in California elections. The outcome of the runoff will determine whether Bass faces Pratt, who has positioned himself as a challenger from the right, or Raman, who would present a left-leaning challenge as a former ally of Bass. The latest polling indicates uncertainty among voters, with a significant percentage undecided. Bass' campaign has criticized Raman's policies, while Raman expressed gratitude for her supporters amid the ongoing vote count, with over 100,000 votes still to be tallied.
✓ AI-Debiased Article
45
Mainstream framing
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R
No clear lean
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Why this rating? · 10 signals
Signals flagged in the original
- loaded language: 'emotional speech'
- loaded language: 'evaporate'
- loaded language: 'late surge'
- loaded language: 'soothed Democratic fears'
- loaded language: 'muddled'
- framing: Nithya Raman leaps past Spencer Pratt
- framing: Bass-Pratt race might look like a more traditional partisan contest
- editorializing: Pratt, who has challenged Bass from the right
Analyzed by our bias model Full breakdown ↓
Nithya Raman Takes Lead Over Spencer Pratt in Los Angeles Mayoral Race
Nithya Raman has taken a slight lead over Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral race as ballots continue to be counted. The outcome will determine who faces incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the runoff. The election has seen a trend of increased Democratic support in California.
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Nithya Raman
Spencer Pratt
Karen Bass
Alex Stack
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Bias Analysis
Bias score
45/100
wirepublicmainstream
flavoredpartisanadvocacy
Inflammatory language
9/100
Sentiment
+20/100
Bias Indicators Removed
- ✕ loaded language: 'emotional speech'
- ✕ loaded language: 'evaporate'
- ✕ loaded language: 'late surge'
- ✕ loaded language: 'soothed Democratic fears'
- ✕ loaded language: 'muddled'
- ✕ framing: Nithya Raman leaps past Spencer Pratt
- ✕ framing: Bass-Pratt race might look like a more traditional partisan contest
- ✕ editorializing: Pratt, who has challenged Bass from the right
- ✕ editorializing: as Pratt tries to turn the election into more of an insider-versus-outsider dynamic
- ✕ vague attribution: NBC News projected, NBC News hasn’t projected, NBC News projected Friday
Original vs. Neutral
Original Headline
Nithya Raman leaps past Spencer Pratt in tight, unresolved race to make L.A. mayoral runoff
Neutral Headline
Nithya Raman Takes Lead Over Spencer Pratt in Los Angeles Mayoral Race