Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt advance to November runoff after neither clears 50% in primary

Bass, the first Black woman to serve as Los Angeles mayor, told supporters at her election night event that she has "devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love" and vowed to continue "all the way to victory in November." Her gathering featured union leaders, local Democratic officials, and business figures, underscoring a coalition that includes endorsements from Gov. Gavin Newsom, former Vice President Kamala Harris, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Pratt, a first-time candidate, held a private gathering at a Mexican restaurant where reporters were not admitted. Speaking outside the venue, he signaled eagerness for a head-to-head matchup, saying "we can do debates every Friday" and describing himself as "an Angeleno who said, 'Enough is enough.'" Pratt lost his Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 wildfire and has made what he describes as Bass's mismanagement of the city's fire response a central campaign argument. His candidacy also drew national attention through AI-generated viral videos and supportive comments from figures including Sen. Ted Cruz and President Donald Trump, who said, "I heard he's a big MAGA person."

Bass pointed to reductions in homelessness, 42,000 affordable housing units she said are now underway, a historically low homicide rate, and the installation of 60,000 streetlights as evidence of progress. She did not address the Pacific Palisades fire at her election night event. The fire broke out in January 2025 while Bass was in Ghana as part of a presidential delegation; it killed 12 people and destroyed more than 18,000 structures, according to the AP.