Spencer Pratt Draws Rave Reviews in LA Mayor Debate Against Bass and Raman

Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt earned strong praise for his showing in Wednesday night's debate on an NBC affiliate, as he competes in a three-way race for Los Angeles mayor against incumbent Karen Bass and socialist Councilwoman Nithya Raman of the Sherman Oaks district.

The nonpartisan contest centers on crime, immigration tensions and the city's response to wildfires. Conservative commentator Meghan McCain, daughter of the late Arizona Sen. John McCain, called Pratt's performance outstanding on X. "This is not hyperbole," she said. "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."

"He is 10/10 no notes. Absolute raw talent. Killed the debate."

Podcaster Joe Rogan also backed Pratt's bid, saying he'd vote for him.

TownHall columnist Dustin Grage highlighted Pratt's crisp "no" to a yes-or-no question on noncitizen voting policies. The query concerned Hollywood-area Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez's proposed ballot motion to allow noncitizens to vote in the city. Bass and Raman gave longer responses that critics labeled word salad.

"Wow, the moderator asked a simple yes or no question in the LA Mayor’s Debate. Should noncitizens be able to vote in local elections? Spencer Pratt: 'No.' Karen Bass: Word salad. Nithya Raman: Word salad," Grage said.

X users posted memes of Pratt's clips, including a GIF of Chris Tucker and Ice Cube exclaiming "Damn."

Los Angeles Times columnist Gustavo Arellano wrote that Pratt mostly succeeded but seemed like a boisterous bro. He noted Pratt's light specifics, except vows to outperform rivals and focus on public safety. Pratt used anecdotes about abused animals, downtown workers scared to eat outside and film producers hiring gang members for protection.

California Post writer Joel Pollak said moderators treated Pratt like the beggar at the feast, yet he emerged as the strongest personality and projected a solid big-city mayor image despite his inexperience. "You knew he would talk about Karen Bass’ failure in the fire. But what impressed most was his fluency with other issues, from crime to housing,"

Political commentator Steve Guest called Pratt's fire critique of Bass an amazing moment. "Spencer Pratt just torched Karen Bass on live TV," he said.

Florida Politics editor Eric L. Daugherty described a similar fire-related exchange as a mic drop.