Five days after California voters headed to the polls, two of the state's most closely watched political contests remain unsettled.
California's prolonged vote-counting process is keeping two high-profile races in the national spotlight, with reality television personality Spencer Pratt facing mounting pressure in the Los Angeles mayoral contest and billionaire Democrat Tom Steyer still trailing Republican Steve Hilton in the race to succeed Governor Gavin Newsom.
According to the latest figures from Los Angeles County election officials, Mayor Karen Bass remains comfortably in first place with 34.81% of the vote and is virtually assured of advancing to the general election.
The battle for second place, however, has tightened considerably.
The latest ballot count released by California election officials shows Pratt, best known for MTV's The Hills, holding onto second place in the Los Angeles mayoral primary.
However, Los Angeles City Councilwoman Nithya Raman has significantly narrowed the gap.
Pratt currently holds 27.32% of the vote, while Raman has climbed to 26.21%.
Just days earlier, Pratt led Raman by more than three percentage points, but newly counted ballots have steadily favored the city council member.
California's unique 'jungle primary' system advances the top two vote-getters regardless of party affiliation.
That means Pratt, Raman and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass are effectively competing for two spots on the November ballot rather than battling within party lines.
