Pratt Leads Raman For Final Run-Off Spot As Ballots Still Being Counted - QuickStory
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California’s election results are still coming in from the June 2 primary.
Making matters even more worrisome, Democratic leaders in the state claim it could take weeks to count all the ballots.
But in the Los Angeles mayoral contest, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass didn’t crack the 51% needed to win outright, setting up a runoff in November.
More importantly, there’s a battle between former reality TV personality and Republican Spencer Pratt and City Council member and Democrat Nithya Raman.
At the time of this writing on Thursday morning, Pratt is ahead and Raman would have to make up a huge number of votes.
Roughly 62% of the vote has been counted as of Wednesday night.
Per the New York Times, here’s where the voting totals stand as of this writing on Thursday morning:
–Karen Bass — 183,701 (35%)
–Spencer Pratt — 157,116 (29.9%)
–Nithya Raman — 119,809 (22.8%)
So far, Pratt looks likely to square off against Bass in November.
No Republican has won a mayoral race in Los Angeles in more than three decades.
But the votes he has already earned reflect a real frustration among Angelenos with a city that has declined after years of Democratic rule.
A business leader and former city council candidate said Spencer Pratt’s rise in the Los Angeles mayoral race is a result of voters’ unhappiness with the status quo on crime, the recent wildfires, and the unfriendly business climate.
“I think a lot of people are concerned about what’s happening, they really don’t know how to fix this, and I think the crime, the homelessness, the addiction, all the above behaviors of what’s happened in our city,” said John Putnam, the president of Putnam Brands & Putnam Accessory Group.
“The politicians that are causing this, I think a lot people are seeing that,” Putnam added.
“And I think Spencer’s actually bringing the light in a real way. He’s pretty basic with his delivery of his issues,” Putnam continued.
“And I think that’s resonating a lot. Even if you don’t want to vote for him, you’re listening, though and I think that’s resonating with a lot of people,” Putnam declared.
“California’s got a big issue, but the city, especially where we live, Santa Monica, is a byproduct of what’s happened in Los Angeles and across the world,” Putnam said.
This comes after two incidents of attempted election interference may have occurred in Long Beach and elsewhere before the June 2 primary election.
Pratt announced the complaint Tuesday in a post on X.
“Karen Bass just violated election law here,” Pratt wrote.
“She is so accustomed to breaking the law with no accountability, she even filmed herself doing it. Well, those days are over. We just filed a formal complaint for illegally gaming the election. We must protect our democracy.”
Pratt argued that Bass violated laws designed to prevent electioneering near voting locations.
“Electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW. Soliciting votes at a ballot box is AGAINST THE LAW,” he wrote.
“These clear violations show a reckless disregard for the rule of law and our democratic process.”
The candidate went on to accuse Bass of believing different rules apply to elected officials.
“A person in a position of power such as Bass should be especially respectful of our democratic laws, but this is just emblematic of Karen’s mafia-like regime. It’s ‘rules for thee, but not for me,’” Pratt said.
Pratt included a photograph of the complaint filing in his social media post and vowed to pursue the matter.
Under California law, candidates and campaign workers are prohibited from electioneering within 100 feet of a ballot drop box.
Pratt’s complaint centers on a campaign video posted by Bass that appeared to show her encouraging supporters to vote while standing near a ballot box.
A spokesperson for Bass dismissed the complaint and questioned Pratt’s campaign.
Craig Melvin Rips Off Mic, Storms Off Live ‘TODAY’ Show After Intense Showdown With Savannah Guthrie
Craig Melvin Rips Off Mic, Storms Off Live ‘TODAY’ Show After Intense Showdown With Savannah Guthrie
NEW YORK — Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center was thrown into historic operational disarray on Friday morning after a bitter ideological and editorial standoff between marquee co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin exploded live on national television. The confrontation culminated in Melvin violently tearing off his broadcast microphone, issuing a blistering on-air rebuke, and walking off the set during the flagship 8:00 AM broadcast hour.
The unscripted walkout played out in real time before millions of morning viewers nationwide, instantly plunging Master Control into crisis protocols and forcing panicked showrunners to drop the satellite link to contain the fallout.
The Anatomy of an On-Air Rupture
The incident occurred at the top of the pivotal 8:00 AM hour as the co-hosts introduced a high-stakes national news block. While TODAY has anchored its multi-billion-dollar brand equity on smooth handoffs and polished on-air camaraderie, the dynamic between Guthrie and Melvin turned openly hostile within seconds of the opening cue.
Production sources confirm that simmering friction over editorial pacing, segment phrasing, and narrative framing reached an immediate boiling point when Melvin sought to provide additional context counter to Guthrie’s framing:
The Desk Standoff: As Melvin laid out his analysis, Guthrie repeatedly spoke over his delivery, gesturing toward the teleprompter copy to force the broadcast back into the scripted rundown.
The Escalation: The sharp cross-talk blew past standard broadcast sparring, transforming into an unmistakable, frosty standoff at the center desk.
The Parting Rebuke: When Guthrie signaled floor managers to wrap the block early, Melvin refused to capitulate on live air.
"If we cannot have an honest conversation on this desk without you dictating the narrative, then you can finish this hour alone," Melvin said directly into his live microphone.
Before Guthrie, stage directors, or fellow co-hosts could intervene, Melvin ripped out his IFB earpiece, slammed his lapel microphone onto the glass desk, shoved his chair back, and walked off the soundstage directly into the production corridors.
Control Room Panic and Emergency Transmission Blackout
Inside Master Control, the sudden exit ignited immediate pandemonium. Comms channels erupted with frantic cross-talk as executive producers ordered engineers to drop the live satellite transmission before Melvin even reached the soundstage exits.
Viewers across the country saw a frozen frame of Guthrie sitting alone at the expansive desk before screens abruptly cut to a network technical placeholder, followed by an extended block of local affiliate commercials.
When the live transmission was finally restored several minutes later, the broadcast was visibly rattled:
The Empty Chair: Melvin’s seat remained conspicuously vacant throughout the rest of the three-hour broadcast.
The On-Air Pivot: A visibly flustered Guthrie attempted to steady the program, clumsily maneuvering through cooking and consumer segments without offering any explanation for her co-host's absence.
Studio Perimeter Cleared: Senior network executives arrived on the floor within minutes, ordering all non-essential staff to clear the studio perimeter to prevent internal leaks.
Digital Firestorm and Executive Reckoning
Within moments of the blackout, unedited screen captures and audio rips of the argument flooded social media platforms. The footage generated tens of millions of views across X, TikTok, and YouTube, catapulting #TodayShowDrama and #CraigMelvin to the top of national trending algorithms.
Media analysts noted that the unprecedented on-air walkout lays bare the acute friction between rigid corporate editorial control and anchor independence within legacy morning television.
While NBCUniversal corporate communications has declined to issue an on-the-record disciplinary statement, sources inside 30 Rockefeller Plaza confirm that emergency leadership summits were convened on the executive floors to review raw studio tapes, examine talent contract stipulations, and determine the upcoming anchor rotation.
This is a developing media story. Further updates will follow as formal network statements and talent representatives respond.
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