Pratt's L.A. mayoral lead narrows to 1% as late ballots favor Raman

In the sprawling civic theater of Los Angeles, a race that once seemed settled is quietly being rewritten by the unhurried arithmetic of mail-in ballots. Reality television personality Spencer Pratt, who entered election night with a commanding lead over City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, now holds only a single percentage point advantage — a reminder that in California's deliberate counting process, the first voice heard is rarely the last. The contest for the second runoff spot against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has become a study in how democratic outcomes resist premature conclusions, and how