Raman defeats Pratt to face Bass in LA mayoral election, CBS News projects

Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman will face off against incumbent Karen Bass in the November election for Los Angeles mayor, CBS News projects. The news comes after Raman surged ahead in election results over the weekend, overtaking political newcomer Spencer Pratt. Under California's primary system, only the top two vote-getters advance to the general election, regardless of party affiliation. Bass had 34.3% and Raman 28.5% with 93% of the vote counted. Bass was previously projected to advance by CBS News on election night. Raman overcomes election night deficit to secure spot in runoff Pratt had previously held a 6% advantage over Raman for second place in the race, but his lead fell slightly with each update from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder. On Sunday, Raman surpassed him by less than a percentage point. Her lead further grew when the county's polling update showed she had gained more than 33,000 votes, pushing her farther ahead of Pratt's 25.8%. All three candidates were vocal about the race results over the weekend, with Pratt urging his social followers to stay positive as thousands of votes were still outstanding, while Bass' campaign issued a statement targeting Raman shortly after she overtook Pratt on Sunday. "We look forward to winning a contest against an opponent who allows encampments near schools and fights against hiring more cops, yet is MIA on saving Hollywood jobs and fighting back when ICE invades LA," the statement said. …