Spencer Pratt Taunts Karen Bass As Election Results Trickle In

California’s June 2 primary results are still being counted, and state officials have warned that the process could take weeks before every ballot is fully tabulated.

The delayed count has only added to concerns from critics who argue that California’s election system invites confusion, distrust, and political suspicion by allowing major races to remain unsettled long after Election Day.

In the Los Angeles mayoral race, incumbent Democrat Karen Bass failed to reach the 51 percent threshold needed to win outright, setting up a likely November runoff.

The more closely watched fight is now for the second runoff spot.

Spencer Pratt, a former reality television personality running as a Republican, has maintained a lead over progressive Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, a Democrat.

Pratt is publicly projecting confidence that he will hold off Raman and move on to face Bass in November. He is also making clear that he believes Bass would be a vulnerable general election opponent.

“Are you going to debate Karen Bass again?” a reporter asked Pratt. “And what do you want to tell her if she sees this?”

“You know, I loved debating her on NBC. I look forward to a couple more on NBC and Fox. We can do debates every Friday if she would like because this actually became my most favorite thing to do,” Pratt responded.

“I hope she’s ready, because I literally could not be more excited,” he added.

Pratt’s confidence has drawn attention from conservative commentators who see his unconventional campaign as one of the more entertaining political developments in deep-blue Los Angeles.

“It is usually a good thing for a politician, Dave, to debate the dumbest people around them. So I think Spencer Pratt is in a good position here,” Stu said.

“It has helped a lot of people in the past. So I think it’s a very good idea,” co-host Dave Landau agreed, while adding, “unfortunately, in California, I’m not sure if it’s going to help.”

“Yeah, it’s still going to be tough in Los Angeles for Spencer Pratt to win because when you have a situation where it’s two Democrats and one Republican, their votes get kind of split up,” Stu said.

“When you go the opposite way, and you have one Republican versus one Democrat, it’s very difficult to win in a city like this, especially in an election time that’s probably going to be pretty difficult for Republicans generally,” he continued.

“Pratt though is looking at this positively, Dave. He’s trying to take a positive spin on what is to come here in the next few months,” he added.

Following the latest election results, Pratt said he believes there is a reason his campaign may be extended into the fall.

In an interview, he said that “obviously God wanted five more months” of him “exposing all the failures of our mayor.”

“So it’s going to be a fun ride. I hope she’s ready,” he said, adding that he was “born for this.”

Pratt ended Election Night with 30.4 percent of the vote, putting him well ahead of Raman, who trailed with 22.3 percent.

Despite that eight-point margin and hundreds of thousands of ballots already counted, officials and media outlets have continued describing the race as too close to call.

As additional ballots have been processed, Pratt’s lead has narrowed somewhat, though he still remains ahead.

The latest update shows Pratt at 29.4 percent compared to Raman’s 23.4 percent, giving him a six-point advantage.

Bass remains in first place with roughly 35 percent of the vote and is widely expected to advance to the November runoff.

That leaves the central question: can Raman overcome Pratt’s remaining lead and seize the second spot?

Election officials say hundreds of thousands of ballots may still be uncounted. Analysts believe many of those ballots could lean Democratic based on historical voting patterns, which has fueled speculation that Raman might still close the gap.

But that outcome is far from certain.

For now, Pratt continues to hold the advantage, while California’s slow ballot-counting process keeps the race suspended in uncertainty.

Additional ballot updates are expected daily through at least June 12. Ballots postmarked by Election Day can still be accepted if they arrive by June 9.

For conservatives, the race is about more than one unlikely Republican contender in Los Angeles. It is another example of how California’s drawn-out election system allows uncertainty to hang over major contests for days or even weeks after voters go to the polls.

Pratt may still face a difficult general election fight in one of the most liberal cities in America. But if he holds on to the second runoff spot, his campaign will give Los Angeles voters a direct choice between more of the same under Bass and an outsider willing to openly challenge the city’s failures.