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.
'National Emergency' Declared as Trump Administration Officials Are Now Warning Americans To Be Vigilant As Cases Of Parasit...
CDC Confirms 1,645 Cyclospora Cases, More Than 5,100 Others Investigated
A rapidly growing foodborne illness outbreak has expanded far beyond what federal health officials first believed, with thousands of Americans now either confirmed or under investigation for a parasitic infection that can cause weeks of debilitating gastrointestinal illness.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the outbreak has reached a level far exceeding recent years, with investigators now working across dozens of states to determine exactly what is making so many people sick.
The CDC announced Tuesday that 1,645 people have been confirmed to have cyclosporiasis after becoming infected in the United States since May 1, while more than 5,100 additional cases are under investigation.
Combined, health officials are now reviewing more than 7,000 possible cases across the country.
The CDC said confirmed infections have been identified in 34 states, with several separate investigations underway.
A major outbreak centered in Michigan and Ohio has now been epidemiologically linked to cases in West Virginia and Kentucky, suggesting those infections may share a common source.
Federal health officials say the number of confirmed cases is already more than six times higher than it was at this point last year.
If the confirmed and suspected cases are combined, this year’s total is roughly 27 times higher than the same period in 2025.
“This is much, much higher than what we’ve seen last year or the year before,” said Dr. Gwen Biggerstaff, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Foodborne, Waterborne, and Environmental Diseases.
“It’s a very big shift.”
The parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, causes cyclosporiasis, a gastrointestinal illness that commonly produces severe watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, bloating, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite.
Symptoms can last for several weeks and often return after initially improving.
According to CDC data, approximately one out of every eleven confirmed patients has required hospitalization.
No deaths have been reported.
Investigators believe at least 400 confirmed cases spanning Michigan, Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky appear to be connected.
Michigan has emerged as the hardest-hit state, reporting more than 3,300 cases during its investigation.
State officials have interviewed more than 1,000 patients and say the evidence currently points toward lettuce or salad greens as a possible source.
However, investigators emphasized that no specific produce item, grower, supplier or distributor has been identified.
The CDC likewise says multiple investigations remain active and that no single nationwide source has been confirmed.
As concern has grown, Taco Bell announced Tuesday that it is voluntarily removing certain ingredients from menus at select restaurants as a precaution.
The company stressed that public health officials have not linked Taco Bell, any ingredient, supplier or restaurant to the outbreak.
“Public health officials have not confirmed a link to Taco Bell or any specific ingredient, supplier, restaurant or retailer,” the company said in a statement.
Cyclosporiasis is generally spread by consuming food or water contaminated with the microscopic parasite rather than through person-to-person contact.
Previous U.S. outbreaks have been traced to fresh produce, including raspberries, cilantro, basil and salad greens.
Federal investigators continue working with state health departments to identify the source of the current outbreak.
Until that source is identified, health officials are urging anyone who develops persistent watery diarrhea or other symptoms consistent with cyclosporiasis to contact a healthcare provider, particularly if symptoms continue for several days or lead to dehydration, CNN reported.
With confirmed cases continuing to climb and thousands more still under investigation, the CDC says the scope of the outbreak remains fluid as investigators work to determine exactly where the contamination originated.
This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
