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Mayor Bass Leads LA Primary; Pratt Trails, Ballots Await Count

6/6/2026

50 11 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Mayor Karen Bass, endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, led the Los Angeles primary with about 35% of the counted votes, securing a spot in the November runoff.
Spencer Pratt earned roughly 30% of the vote, placing him second, while Councilmember Nithya Raman received about 23%.
County officials reported roughly 500,000 uncounted ballots, indicating the canvass could take up to 30 days.

History

Historical Context

After Tom Bradley’s 20-year tenure ended, the 1993 Los Angeles mayoral race became the first open contest in 64 years; Republican businessman Richard Riordan won the June runoff with 54 % of the vote, the first Republican mayor in 36 years. That endorsement-driven, closely watched contest echoes today as Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris back her rival in a similarly tight primary.

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Story summary

Mayor Karen Bass, endorsed by Governor Gavin Newsom and former Vice President Kamala Harris, led the Los Angeles primary with about 35% of the counted votes, securing a spot in the November runoff.
Spencer Pratt earned roughly 30% of the vote, placing him second, while Councilmember Nithya Raman received about 23%.
County officials reported roughly 500,000 uncounted ballots, indicating the canvass could take up to 30 days.

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