Bass advances to LA mayoral runoff as Raman, Pratt battle for second spot

In a city still bearing the scars of catastrophic fire and a homelessness crisis that has tested the limits of governance, Los Angeles voters have begun to render a fractured verdict on their leadership. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass advances to a November runoff, but the identity of her challenger — a progressive councilmember or a reality television personality turned fire-victim advocate — remains unresolved. The race reflects something larger than local politics: a widespread unease with institutions, a hunger for accountability, and the difficulty of governing a city whose problems resist ea