Spencer Pratt may have entered the Los Angeles mayoral race as a candidate people weren’t taking seriously, but his performance at this week’s debate gave new weight to the reality television villain’s long-shot bid to lead the nation’s second-largest city.
Pratt shared the stage at the Skirball Cultural Center with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass (D) and Councilmember Nithya Raman, who represents the city’s 4th District. Fourteen candidates are on the ballot, though only five, including Pratt, are viewed as viable contenders heading into the June 2 primary. Pratt has gained unexpected momentum, running as an outsider and railing against what he calls “failed leadership,” while political observers have pointed to his ability to disrupt more traditional candidates.
“Spencer Pratt is not a joke, and he proved it with his debate performance,” Jeff Burton, a former senior National Republican Congressional Committee official and partner at Maven Advocacy, told the Washington Examiner. “Every non-political person I know in LA knows who Pratt is and is planning to vote for him. Another performance like that, and he has a real chance.”
Pratt launched his campaign in January on the anniversary of last year’s devastating fires, using the occasion to sharpen his criticism of Bass’s leadership. Speaking at a neighborhood rally, he cast his candidacy in sweeping terms.
“This isn’t a campaign — it’s a mission,” he said. “We’re going to shine a light into every corner of this city, expose what’s broken, and rebuild LA into something people can believe in again.”
The fires hit close to home, destroying both Pratt’s Pacific Palisades residence and his parents’ home. Recovery efforts in the area have moved slowly, with only a fraction of the more than 6,000 destroyed structures currently under reconstruction.
In the months since, Pratt has leaned heavily on his large social media following — nearly 1 million followers on X and 1.4 million on Instagram — to attack local and state officials, including Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA), accusing them of failing to prevent what he describes as an avoidable disaster.
He has also released a series of provocative ads that quickly went viral while racking up endorsements from podcast host Joe Rogan, comedian Adam Carolla, former Trump administration official Richard Grenell, conservative commentator Benny Johnson, and California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton.
After Pratt released his “They not like us” campaign ad, conservative commentator Meghan McCain weighed in on social media: “I’m telling you this guy is going to win.”
McCain also praised Pratt’s debate showing, giving him a “10/10.”
“This is not hyperbole,” she posted on X. “Spencer Pratt is the blueprint for how my generation of older millennials needs to communicate and present their ideas and campaign messaging when running for office.”
James Christopher, founder of New York-based James Christopher Communications, LLC, said candidates often underestimate how strongly voters respond to authenticity.
“One thing I consistently advise political clients is that polished messaging matters far less than whether people genuinely believe you understand their daily struggles,” Christopher told the Washington Examiner. “Spencer Pratt’s success in the Los Angeles mayoral race reflected that dynamic. His background in television and soap operas ultimately did not disqualify him among more serious voters because his campaign stayed laser-focused on real affordability concerns, public frustration, and quality-of-life issues affecting Angelenos.”
Christopher argued Pratt’s candidacy also complicates the idea that anyone tied to Hollywood is automatically viewed as part of a disconnected elite.
“While Pratt came from wealth, he did not enter entertainment through entrenched Hollywood political connections, and voters increasingly viewed him as someone who understood instability, reinvention, and the economic pressures facing younger Californians,” Christopher said. “Combined with a strong command of local issues, effective rebuttals to Mayor Karen Bass, and a naturally charismatic personality, voters began seeing him as more than just another actor running for office.”
During the debate, Pratt blasted Bass for the 2025 Palisades fire.
“I blame this person for burning my house and my parents’ house down,” he said.
Referring to Raman, he said: “If I wanted to run against anybody, it would be the council member, who is terrible.”
Pratt’s unfiltered style, trading polished political talking points for aggressive criticism and rapid-fire statistics, appears to be resonating with some voters increasingly frustrated with City Hall, particularly as Los Angeles continues to struggle with homelessness and drug addiction.
“The reality is no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth, they are on fentanyl,” Pratt said.
He also sharply criticized Raman’s approach to homelessness and addiction treatment.
“The DEA statistics say 93% of this is a drug addiction problem,” Pratt said. “Councilwoman Raman’s plan for treatment first — I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her, and we can find some of the people she can offer treatment for. She’s going to get stabbed in the neck.”
Media and culture expert Kaivan Shroff told the Washington Examiner that Pratt’s debate performance had more to do with Bass and Raman underperforming than with him rising to the challenge.
“Pratt nailed the game of low expectations,” Shroff said. “His advertisements and social media postings about the campaign have had an immaturity and lack of seriousness to them — very attention-grabby without the substance. But [in the debate] he came across more serious, emotionally invested, and committed, so it was a level above what most people were anticipating. When you flip expectations on their head in that way, the audience notices the contrast, and it lingers.”
Following the debate, prediction market Polymarket put Bass’s odds of winning at 45%, Raman’s at 38%, and Pratt’s at 18%. Rival Kalshi showed Pratt edging ahead of Raman for second place, with 26% to her 23%, while Bass remained in front at 47%.
SPENCER PRATT ROASTS KAREN BASS FOR ‘BURNING MY HOUSE’ AT LA MAYOR DEBATE
Under California’s primary system, the top two finishers advance to the November general election regardless of party affiliation.
Despite the growing buzz around Pratt, skeptics remain unconvinced he has the temperament or experience to govern the city.
Veteran California political strategist Garry South told the Washington Examiner that Pratt “came off mostly as a brat,” while political consultant David McLaughlin argued Pratt “seems like a mean human to his own family, so I am not sure why others would trust him to represent them in any capacity.”
Emails to Pratt requesting comment were not returned.