UMVA has learned that a stunning upset is unfolding in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, with Democrat City Councilwoman Nithya Raman surging ahead of candidate Spencer Pratt in a dramatic ballot dump.
The latest tally shows Raman gaining over 19,000 votes, while incumbent Mayor Karen Bass secured nearly 16,000 votes, and Pratt trailed with just under 8,500 votes. The massive influx of votes has sent shockwaves through the election, with 80% of the new ballots favoring the Democratic candidates.
With an estimated 146,000 ballots still to be counted, Pratt now trails Raman by more than 3,000 votes, a precarious position that has election analysts projecting a runoff between Raman and Bass in November.
According to information obtained by UMVA, multiple election analysts are already predicting that Raman will advance to the runoff, dealing a significant blow to Pratt's campaign.
In a remarkable turnaround, Raman narrowed the deficit between her and Pratt by 13,000 votes on Saturday, after Pratt had held a nearly 21,000-vote lead on Friday. The tide of the election appears to have shifted irreversibly in Raman's favor.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the late-arriving mail-in vote results have been instrumental in Raman's surge, propelling her into a strong position to challenge Bass in the November runoff.
The top two candidates will advance to the runoff if no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, setting the stage for a fiercely contested battle for the mayoral seat.
As the election landscape continues to evolve, one thing is certain: Nithya Raman has emerged as a force to be reckoned with in Los Angeles politics.
