Spencer Pratt Gains Traction in LA Mayor Race After Fiery Debate

Reality TV star and online influencer Spencer Pratt showed new momentum in the Los Angeles mayoral race with an aggressive debate performance this week.

Pratt clashed with the moderator after calling incumbent Mayor Karen Bass an "incredible liar." He claimed progressive City Council member Nithya Raman would get "stabbed in the neck" if she tried to treat homeless people in encampments under city freeways.

Pratt's rise draws from his fame as a wildfire victim. Last year's fires destroyed more than 17,000 homes in Los Angeles County. He also stresses homelessness, crime, and government accountability in the Democrat-led city.

Running as an independent outsider and self-described "truth-to-power" candidate, Pratt has drawn media notice with ads aimed at Bass and Raman.

Pratt blamed Bass for his home's destruction. In an ad released last week, he stood before his rivals' homes to highlight frustrations with city leadership, the wildfire response, and the homeless crisis.

"This is where Mayor Bass lives. Do you notice something? Or here, where Nithya Raman's $3 million mansion sits," Pratt said. "They don't have to live in the mess they've created."

Bass's campaign dismissed Pratt's approach. "Spencer is doing his best Trump impression, but it's not going to work in LA," it said.

Raman's campaign made a similar point. "Spencer Pratt plays directly from the Donald Trump playbook — incendiary language, fear mongering, and political stunts meant to divide and distract," it charged.

Pratt's message connects with some voters. City figures show he has raised more donations this year than other candidates.

Recent polling is scarce. Surveys a month ago gave Bass a small double-digit lead over Pratt and Raman, with many undecided.

"He's got some very harsh but imaginative videos online," said Jack Pitney, a political scientist at Claremont McKenna College. "He's catching fire online. Whether he's catching fire with people who vote in Los Angeles is a different question."

No candidate has topped 50 percent in the June 2 primary yet. The top two finishers will compete in November.

"His shot is the dissatisfaction message," Pitney said. "He was displaced by the fire and people are very dissatisfied with the state of government in Los Angeles."