Los Angeles Mayor Primary Election: Who's Leading on June 2

Los Angeles voters headed to the polls on Tuesday, June 2, for a pivotal primary election that will determine the city's next mayor. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass faces a crowded field of challengers, including former reality TV star Spencer Pratt and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

Polls closed at 8 p.m., and early results are expected to trickle in throughout the evening.

Bass, who was elected in 2022 after defeating businessman Rick Caruso, has focused her tenure on affordable housing and homelessness through her Inside Safe program. However, her handling of the Palisades Fire last year has drawn scrutiny.

Despite this, she has secured endorsements from former Vice President Kamala Harris, Magic Johnson, and the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

Spencer Pratt, who lost his home in the Palisades Fire, has positioned himself as an outsider, calling himself Bass's "worst nightmare" and emphasizing his lack of government experience as an asset. Nithya Raman, who entered the race late, has criticized the city's political establishment and the slow pace of Bass's homelessness initiatives.

Other notable candidates include nonprofit executive Adam Miller and progressive pastor Rae Huang.

Political analyst Fernando Guerra of Loyola Marymount University noted that if an incumbent does not win outright in the nonpartisan primary, it signals trouble. "The reason you don’t win the primary is because the majority of the people don’t want you," Guerra said.

If no candidate secures a majority, the top two will face off in November.

In addition to the mayoral race, voters are deciding on key local contests, including Los Angeles City Council seats, a county sales tax increase for healthcare services, and two open seats on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. The sales tax measure, a half-percent increase expected to generate $1 billion annually for five years, is a response to anticipated strain from federal policy changes.

The winner of the mayoral race will lead the city for four years, including hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics.