California Elections: Narrowing Margins in Key Races

The Los Angeles mayoral contest sees Spencer Pratt’s lead over Councilwoman Nithya Raman decreasing. Pratt, a former reality star, is contending against incumbent Democratic Mayor Karen Bass. While Pratt remains in the race, Bass has already secured enough votes to advance to the November general election.

Pratt, a registered Republican, leads Raman by nearly 6%, with Pratt having 163,549 votes and Raman 130,473, based on figures from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder and County Clerk. Recent counts show Raman gaining more than 10,000 votes, while Pratt increased by fewer than 6,000 votes. Earlier, Pratt stood at 157,116 votes, compared to Raman’s 119,809.

LA City Councilwoman previously backed by DSA running for Mayor in primary challenge to Bass.

In the gubernatorial race, Republican Steve Hilton edges past Democratic contenders Xavier Becerra and Tom Steyer. Hilton leads with 1,533,435 votes, while Becerra follows closely with 1,470,100 votes. Tom Steyer, a billionaire Democrat, trails with 1,139,517 votes.

Hilton, Becerra in the lead with votes still being counted in battle for California Governor.

If no candidate secures over 50% in the gubernatorial race, the top two candidates will move to a runoff in November. California’s results can take time, as seen in the 2024 election, when official results were certified 38 days post-election. However, a 2025 bill now mandates counting ‘non-problematic’ votes within 13 days.

California notably leads the nation in mail-in ballots, with 81% of voters participating by mail in 2024, significantly higher than the 43% national average as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau.

Editor’s note: The report reflects updated statewide vote totals in the governor’s race.