Los Angeles City Councilwoman and self-proclaimed Democratic socialist Nithya Raman, a top candidate in L.A.’s mayoral race, broke down in tears Tuesday night as she quickly fell behind. Although the only confirmed candidate advancing to the general election in November is incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, polling is not looking good for Raman, as Republican Spencer Pratt has continued to extend his lead over her.
Nithya Raman walked out to her campaign funeral in literal tears last night
— Danny De Urbina (@dannydeurbina) June 3, 2026
She can't hide her disappointment at the red wave that showed out in LA Mayoral race
Angelenos are taking their city back from the grip of incompetence. pic.twitter.com/8q1ybdgQmG
"I've been a candidate for something as long as you can remember, and you've had to live through it with me, and you've been so patient through all of it. Thank you," Raman said through tears on Tuesday. "I hope you know that everything every person in this room is fighting for in this campaign has been about building a city that's worthy of you and every child in this city."
So far, Bass has maintained the lead in the city’s primary election, garnering around 35 percent of the vote, while Pratt remains close behind at about 30 percent, according to Associated Press data. Raman has fallen behind both, sitting at around 22 percent, even though just months ago she was considered the favorite to win the election, polling around 60 percent support.
Many progressives were hoping that Raman could pull off a similar election upset to Zohran Mamdani's victory in New York City, although thankfully that didn't happen.
Raman was an easy target for Pratt leading up to the primary, as she positioned herself further to the left than Mayor Bass. While Bass’s policies have driven the decline of one of America's most iconic cities, Raman stood to push it further in that direction. Pratt effectively emphasized what a city under Raman would look like, making that contrast central to his campaign message.
Spencer Pratt warns Los Angeles Communist mayoral candidate Nithya Raman about the risks of trying to help LA’s homeless population:
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) May 7, 2026
“I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of these people she’s going to offer treatment for. She’s going to… pic.twitter.com/kdtTOwVSet
Just over 60 percent of the votes have been counted in Los Angeles as of Wednesday morning, as Pratt is expected to advance to the general election alongside Karen Bass.