New Leader In Los Angeles Mayor Race as More Ballots Counted

Socialist Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, who finished third in the primary on Tuesday and had thought she was out of contention – the two top finishers advance to the fall election – has benefited the most from late-ballot surges.

She is now in second place behind incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, with Pratt on the outside looking in at third place. “Pratt, a Republican, had led earlier in the day, but the latest tally now shows Raman, a Democrat, ahead by more than 3,000 votes, or about 0.4 percentage points, in the officially nonpartisan mayoral race,” Fox News reported, citing The Associated Press’s vote tallies.

The AP has yet to call the race, however. California’s election system allows ballots to arrive up to seven days after polls close, provided they are postmarked on election day.