Spencer Pratt’s surprising political rise hit a major obstacle after a fresh ballot count shifted the Los Angeles mayoral race and pushed him out of second place.
The reversal immediately sparked outrage from Donald Trump and several prominent conservative figures, who questioned how progressive city council member Nithya Raman overtook the former reality television star.
As vote counting continues, accusations of election misconduct, disputes over mail-in ballots, and growing tensions surrounding California’s electoral process have become central to the unfolding drama.
Spencer Pratt Sees Narrow Lead Slip Away In Los Angeles Race
For much of election week, Spencer Pratt appeared positioned to advance to a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass.
That changed after Sunday’s ballot update showed Raman moving ahead by roughly 3,000 votes.
The latest tally gave Bass 34.7 percent of the vote, Raman 27.1 percent, and Pratt 26.7 percent with approximately 83 percent of ballots counted. The result left Pratt visibly frustrated as additional mail-in ballots continued to be processed.
Earlier in the day, he attempted to reassure supporters by posting, “Remember everyone…we are still in the lead, and we’ve got allllllll the way til July 6th to keep counting.”
He followed that with another pointed message questioning the changing vote totals.
“A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday.. 43,000, huh?” Pratt wrote on X before referencing a report stating that 43,699 people experience homelessness in Los Angeles. “Where have I seen that number before…? Probably nothing,” he continued.
On the other hand, Raman welcomed the latest developments. In a statement to NBC, she said, “We are encouraged by the latest vote count and remain grateful to the thousands of Angelenos who have powered this campaign.”
Spencer Pratt’s Reversal Prompts Donald Trump To Sound The Alarm
Trump quickly seized on the changing results, using social media to accuse Democrats of manipulating the election.
“Has anybody been watching the CROOKED Election going on in California,” the president wrote on Truth Social on Sunday evening.
“Two great Republican Candidates are being cheated, and so is America, which if the Dumocrats are able to fulfill their mission, great trouble and consternation will follow,” he continued. Trump then urged followers to “Watch this ‘Election’ closely!!!”
The president’s criticism was not limited to one post. Throughout the week, he repeatedly questioned why California was taking days to finalize results.
“Watch California, everybody!” Trump posted on Thursday, adding, “Our Election process is as bad, or worse, than any Third World Country.”
During a Friday speech in Wisconsin, he repeated those concerns, telling supporters, “Can you imagine, it’s four days, and they still aren’t even close to telling you who won. You know why? Because they’re rigging the election, that’s why.”
Pratt’s Loss Ignites Reaction Across Conservative Media
Trump was far from alone in expressing skepticism. Several conservative commentators publicly questioned Raman’s surge as mail ballots continued to be counted.
Clay Travis wrote per the Daily Mail, “Spencer Pratt falls to third place and a woman who hardly anyone voted for in person, Nithya Raman, totally dominated in mail voting. No one with a functional brain believes these results.”
Meghan McCain suggested election concerns were spreading beyond traditional Republican circles. “For whatever it’s worth, people in my life who have never ever spoken about stolen elections in any capacity are now saying this about California,” she shared.
Actress Justine Bateman also weighed in, stating, “Wonder who they’ve already decided will be Mayor of Los Angeles.”
James Woods went even further. In his words, “I knew to a certainty that statistically impossible cheating would take place AGAIN,” he wrote. “America is lost.”
Twitch streamer Lauren Chen also questioned how Raman was gaining votes faster than both Pratt and Bass, calling the situation “extremely suspicious.”
Pratt Built Campaign Around Anger Over City Leadership
Long before the vote-count controversy emerged, Spencer Pratt had built his campaign on frustration with Los Angeles leadership.
The former “Hills” star launched his bid after he and wife Heidi Montag lost their $3 million home in the 2025 Palisades Fire. He used widespread anger over the city’s handling of the disaster to fuel his campaign message.
Pratt promised to tackle homelessness, hire more LAPD officers, improve emergency response systems, and speed up rebuilding efforts for fire victims through permit reform.
Like Trump, the 42-year-old positioned himself as an outsider determined to challenge government bureaucracy.
Just days before the latest ballot shifts, he projected confidence, posting a simple message to supporters that read, “Patience,” alongside photos from outside City Hall. Pratt later shared a more faith-based message with supporters, writing: “God always wins.”
Spencer Pratt’s Future Remains Unclear As Ballot Counting Continues
Despite the controversy, election officials continue to count ballots submitted by California’s Election Day deadline.
California’s lengthy vote-counting process has long been a point of political debate, particularly because mail-in ballots can arrive and be processed after Election Day.
The ongoing process has drawn federal attention. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Renner was seen visiting Los Angeles County’s central processing center, while California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office was monitoring developments.
“My office has a presence on the ground right now, is monitoring the situation closely, and stands ready to protect voters and ensure California’s election laws are followed,” Bonta wrote.
The uncertainty extends beyond Pratt’s race. Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is also waiting for final results and recently criticized California’s pace of counting, calling it a “global laughing stock.”
Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back on Republican complaints by asking, “Why do Republicans hate that California counts every vote?”