Former reality television personality Spencer Pratt secured a spot in November’s Los Angeles mayoral runoff after incumbent Democrat Karen Bass failed to win outright in the June 2 primary election.

With approximately 62% of votes counted as of Thursday morning, Pratt led the field with 29.9% support, while City Council member Nithya Raman trailed with 22.8%, according to tallies reported by the New York Times. Bass, the Democratic incumbent, did not reach the 51% threshold needed to avoid a November runoff.

Pratt’s Momentum in Race

No Republican has won a Los Angeles mayoral election in more than 30 years. Business leader John Putnam attributed Pratt’s rise to voter frustration with current city conditions. “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,” Putnam said.

Putnam noted that Pratt’s straightforward messaging resonates with voters regardless of their support for him. “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 said.

Election Interference Complaint

Pratt filed a formal complaint Tuesday accusing Bass of violating California election laws by soliciting votes near a ballot drop box. “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,” Pratt wrote on social media.

State law prohibits candidates and campaign workers from electioneering within 100 feet of ballot drop boxes. A Bass campaign spokesperson dismissed the complaint and questioned Pratt’s campaign’s credibility regarding the allegations.