{"id":27387,"date":"2026-06-07T02:01:31","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T02:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pratt-raman-la-mayor-gap-shrinks\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T02:01:31","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T02:01:31","slug":"pratt-raman-la-mayor-gap-shrinks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pratt-raman-la-mayor-gap-shrinks\/","title":{"rendered":"Pratt&#8217;s Lead Narrows as Californians Await Final Governor and L.A. Results"},"content":{"rendered":"<article>\n<p><time datetime=\"2026-06-06\">Updated June 6, 2026 \/ 5:56 PM PDT<\/time> \u2014 New ballot tallies from Los Angeles County tightened the city&#8217;s mayoral primary Saturday as Spencer Pratt&#8217;s advantage over Councilwoman Nithya Raman fell to roughly one percentage point, while statewide returns confirmed Xavier Becerra advancing in the California governor&#8217;s primary. With about 78% of L.A. ballots counted, Pratt held 27.3% to Raman&#8217;s 26.2%, and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was already projected to reach the November runoff. The results left voters and campaigns watching remaining county ballot releases and the contest for who will face Becerra in November.<\/p>\n<h2>Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Spencer Pratt led Nithya Raman 27.3% to 26.2% in L.A. with 78% of ballots reported as of the latest county update.<\/li>\n<li>Mayor Karen Bass was projected to advance to the November runoff earlier in the week and will face either Raman (D) or Pratt (R).<\/li>\n<li>Former HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra was projected by CBS News to advance to the general election in California&#8217;s governor&#8217;s primary.<\/li>\n<li>Republican Steve Hilton led the gubernatorial field on election night before late returns allowed Becerra to overtake him; billionaire Tom Steyer trailed in third.<\/li>\n<li>Counties have up to 30 days to count ballots provisionally; many large counties scheduled additional ballot drops through Tuesday.<\/li>\n<li>A May 28 UC Berkeley\u2013LA Times poll showed Bass 26%, Raman 25% and Pratt 22% among likely voters (margin of error ~3%).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Background<\/h2>\n<p>California uses a top-two primary system: the two candidates with the highest vote totals advance to the November general election regardless of party. That structure has made the June primary especially consequential in both the gubernatorial and Los Angeles mayoral contests, where candidates from the same party can still face each other in November. The governor&#8217;s race attracted national attention because of the open seat created by term limits on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, while Los Angeles&#8217; mayoral contest saw an unusual mix of an incumbent mayor, a progressive councilwoman and a high-profile political newcomer.<\/p>\n<p>Election night tallies on Tuesday left several races effectively undecided pending the counting of mail ballots and provisional ballots that arrive or are verified in the days after Election Day. California law permits ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if received within seven days, and counties have 30 days to finalize counts provisionally. That process has produced repeated late returns \u2014 sometimes called &#8220;ballot dumps&#8221; \u2014 that have reshaped standings in tight races during the week.<\/p>\n<h2>Main Event<\/h2>\n<p>In Los Angeles, Pratt&#8217;s margin over Raman has shrunk in successive updates. After leading by nearly six percentage points on Thursday, Pratt&#8217;s advantage narrowed to about 1.1 percentage points in the county&#8217;s Saturday release. With 78% of ballots processed, the change primarily reflected additional mail and provisional ballots favoring Raman and other candidates over Pratt, according to county reporting.<\/p>\n<p>Mayor Bass had been projected to move on to the November runoff earlier in the week, setting up a likely matchup against either Raman or Pratt. Campaign messaging shifted as returns arrived: Pratt leaned into a message of confidence about his standing, while Raman emphasized her grassroots organizing and late momentum after entering the race later than several rivals.<\/p>\n<p>Across the state, CBS News projected Xavier Becerra advanced to the general election after late tallies lifted him past Steve Hilton, who had led on election night. Tom Steyer, who finished third in many returns, picked up some late votes but remained short of the top two in the latest counts. Analysts have pointed to geographical patterns in the late votes \u2014 urban mail ballots and certain county reporting sequences \u2014 as drivers of late movement in the standings.<\/p>\n<h2>Analysis &#038; Implications<\/h2>\n<p>The narrowing of Pratt&#8217;s lead underscores how post\u2013Election Day ballots can alter outcomes in close contests. In Los Angeles, the mix of in-person, mail and provisional ballots \u2014 and the order in which counties process and release them \u2014 has repeatedly shifted percentage points for candidates. That dynamic favors candidates with stronger mail-ballot or organized absentee-ballot outreach; campaigns that underperformed in those channels have seen late erosion in reported support.<\/p>\n<p>For the mayoral field, a final Raman advance would reflect a consolidation of left-leaning voters around the councilwoman, while a sustained Pratt position would signal broader crossover or novelty appeal for a political newcomer. Either scenario would affect November turnout and coalition-building: Bass would face a very different opponent and pathway to re-election depending on whether she confronts a Democrat with an organized progressive base or a Republican with high name recognition.<\/p>\n<p>In the governor&#8217;s race, Becerra&#8217;s advance would set up a contest that could hinge on whether Republicans consolidate behind Hilton or whether a Democratic rival like Steyer closes the late gap. The top-two system makes cross-party dynamics complex: a general election could be Democrat vs. Republican or two Democrats, with distinct implications for turnout, fundraising and national attention.<\/p>\n<h2>Comparison &#038; Data<\/h2>\n<figure>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Race<\/th>\n<th>Candidate<\/th>\n<th>Reported Share<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Los Angeles Mayor (78% counted)<\/td>\n<td>Spencer Pratt<\/td>\n<td>27.3%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Los Angeles Mayor (78% counted)<\/td>\n<td>Nithya Raman<\/td>\n<td>26.2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Los Angeles Mayor (poll May 28)<\/td>\n<td>Karen Bass<\/td>\n<td>26% (likely voters)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Governor (late returns)<\/td>\n<td>Xavier Becerra<\/td>\n<td>Projected advance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Governor (late returns)<\/td>\n<td>Steve Hilton<\/td>\n<td>Leading on election night; overtaken in late returns<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><figcaption>Latest reported shares and notable polling snapshots; counts and projections reflect updates through June 6, 2026.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The table shows how late returns and polling snapshots can tell different stories: a May 28 poll placed Bass, Raman and Pratt within single digits of one another, while the official count trajectory has shifted with each batch of ballots reported. Analysts note both sampling variability in polls and structural differences between who returns mail ballots early and who votes in person on election day.<\/p>\n<h2>Reactions &#038; Quotes<\/h2>\n<p>Analysts and campaign figures reacted quickly to the narrowing margins and the prospect of additional late returns altering final positions.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;Spencer Pratt has been losing share of the vote with every one of these new ballot dumps, and we expect that to continue,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Paul Mitchell, Political Data Inc. (analytics firm)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Mitchell&#8217;s comment reflected broader analyst concern about the durability of early leads when substantial mail and provisional ballots remain. Campaign strategists told reporters they were reallocating staff to counties with remaining ballot drops.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re not there yet, but it&#8217;s looking good. It looks very much like Californians really will have the chance to vote for change in November,&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite>Steve Hilton (Republican gubernatorial candidate)<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Hilton&#8217;s statement came as he sought to frame late counting as momentum for his campaign; election officials cautioned that counting sequences vary by county and do not indicate a uniform trend. Raman and Pratt issued short statements to supporters noting the count was ongoing and encouraging patience as officials complete tallies.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<details>\n<summary>How California&#8217;s top-two primary and post-Election Day counting work<\/summary>\n<p>California&#8217;s top-two primary advances the two vote-getters to November regardless of party. Mail ballots postmarked by Election Day can be counted if received within seven days. Counties have up to 30 days to report provisional and other delayed ballots, which is why final tallies can change after election night. Different counties process and release batches of results at different times, producing late shifts in close races.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n<\/aside>\n<h2>Unconfirmed<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>Whether Pratt will continue to lose share as remaining L.A. ballots are counted; current trends suggest erosion but final results remain pending.<\/li>\n<li>Whether Steve Hilton will retain or regain a top-two position in the governor&#8217;s race once all counties finish counting; late returns have already reshaped early-night standings.<\/li>\n<li>Specific county-level vote flows that would definitively explain every late movement; detailed precinct-level breakdowns remain incomplete.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Bottom Line<\/h2>\n<p>The latest returns tightened the Los Angeles mayoral primary and underscored the impact of mail and provisional ballots in close contests. With 78% of L.A. ballots reported, Pratt&#8217;s margin over Raman narrowed to roughly one percentage point, but substantial counting remains that could change who reaches the November runoff against Mayor Bass.<\/p>\n<p>Statewide, Xavier Becerra&#8217;s projected advance in the governor&#8217;s primary moved the focus to who will challenge him in November, with late returns keeping Steve Hilton and Tom Steyer in contention for the second slot. Campaigns and voters should expect additional fluctuations in the coming days as counties complete scheduled ballot drops and provisional verifications.<\/p>\n<h2>Sources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cbsnews.com\/losangeles\/news\/california-governor-la-mayor-results-hilton-steyer-pratt-raman\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CBS News Los Angeles<\/a> (media \u2014 primary reporting and projections)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/lavote.gov\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder\/County Clerk<\/a> (official county vote updates)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sos.ca.gov\/elections\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">California Secretary of State<\/a> (official guidance on ballot receipt and counting)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.latimes.com\/projects\/2026-california-primary-poll\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">UC Berkeley\u2013LA Times poll (May 28)<\/a> (academic\/media polling snapshot)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Updated June 6, 2026 \/ 5:56 PM PDT \u2014 New ballot tallies from Los Angeles County tightened the city&#8217;s mayoral primary Saturday as Spencer Pratt&#8217;s advantage over Councilwoman Nithya Raman fell to roughly one percentage point, while statewide returns confirmed Xavier Becerra advancing in the California governor&#8217;s primary. With about 78% of L.A. ballots counted, &#8230; <a title=\"Pratt&#8217;s Lead Narrows as Californians Await Final Governor and L.A. Results\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/pratt-raman-la-mayor-gap-shrinks\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Pratt&#8217;s Lead Narrows as Californians Await Final Governor and L.A. Results\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27386,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_title":"Pratt's Lead Narrows as Californians Await Results \u2014 Insight News","rank_math_description":"New tallies cut Spencer Pratt's lead over Nithya Raman to about 1% with 78% counted; Xavier Becerra advances in the governor's primary. Timelines, data and expert analysis inside.","rank_math_focus_keyword":"Pratt,Raman,Los Angeles mayor,California governor,Becerra","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27387","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27387","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27387"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27387\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27386"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27387"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27387"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readtrends.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27387"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}