Who Will be the Next Los Angeles Mayor?

LA Mayoral primary elections are here, set for June 2nd, and chatter is high on the likely candidates. Of the top 4 rotating in mentions, we have the incumbent, Karen Bass, who’s largely heralded as the leading frontrunner.

That’s with media personality Spencer Pratt, Councilwoman Nithya Raman, and techpreneur Adam Miller hot on her tail. All candidates have a strong standing on homelessness, police funding, disaster preparedness, and the business fraternity; occasionally throwing light jabs at each other. Still, if the candidate’s interviews and social media posts are anything to go by, no approval rating is guaranteed.

How The LA Mayor Race Is Looking So Far

LA’s mayoral primaries are right around the corner, as the June 2nd d-day nears and they’re garnering nationwide interest, pouring over to even prediction sites, like Kalshi, as politics predictions see an increase in volume. For this race, in particular, much of said volume centers on four candidates, as hinted at earlier on. Here’s a snapshot of their current standings:

Now that you’re well caught up, let’s take a closer look at their candidature and pain points they’re rallying behind.

Karen Bass

Incumbent Karen Bass is seeking a second four-year term after coming into office in 2022. She made history as the first woman to serve as mayor of the City of Angeles and only the second black person to rise to the position. A seasoned politician who has served in the House of Representatives and the California State Assembly, Bass is not new to the game.

During her Mayoral tenure, her administration took on these three pillars:

• Tackling homelessness through the Inside Safe program.
• She pushed for more funding for the LAPD (for increased hiring, pay raises, & retention).
• Explicit crime reduction via policing and violence-interruption strategies.

Some success has been witnessed with historically low homicide levels in the city and a year-on-year reduction in homelessness. Though critics have been quick to lump her on the Palisafe fires last year, citing her administration’s flawed response and absence during the tragedy.

Spencer Pratt

Former reality TV star and the only Republican in the race, Spencer Pratt, follows Bass in recent polling and on the list of prediction markets possible winners. His popularity has been increasingly rapidly at the expense of Bass and other candidates. Much of this is down to support from popular podcaster Joe Rogan.

Spencer also promises to tackle homelessness, but with a focus on drug rehabilitation and mental health wellness as prerequisites. He’s been a vocal critic of Bass, referring to her as Basura (Spanish for trash) for her handling of the Palisade fires.

Nithya Raman

Councilwoman Nithya Raman enters the mayoral race as the only Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidate challenging the incumbent. Granted overlaps, such as her previous support for Bass (initially was for her re-election in late 2025/early 2026, before abruptly announcing her own candidacy), see her aligning with most of Bass’s policies. Even so, she has been critical of how they’re implemented.

More on parallels: media outlets have been keen to draw similarities between her candidatures and New York’s Zohran Mamdani, as both have DSA affiliation, South Asian heritage, and appeal to younger voters. Her mandates touch on revitalizing the city’s nightlife and entertainment industry while channeling resources to housing and other social causes.

Adam Miller

Tech entrepreneur Adam Miller is campaigning on a proper resource management forum. Borrowing heavily from experience in running a multi-billion-dollar company, Miller promises to streamline how LA manages its $10+ billion annual budget.

Focus areas for Miller include disaster response, affordable housing, and the creation of an enabling environment for small businesses. He’s currently the lowest-ranked of the four frontrunners but is viewed by some as a dark horse that could appeal to the business community more.

Who Will Be the Next Los Angeles Mayor?

The LA Mayor market on Kalshi has so far attracted over $5M in volume with traders backing their political predictions. Whether you think Karen Bass will win another term or she’ll be pipped to the seat by Spencer Pratt, Nithya Raman, or Adam Miller, you too can back your analysis with a live trade. Head on to the platform with any of our links to get started.