{"id":819215,"date":"2026-05-24T15:34:25","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T15:34:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/819215\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T15:34:25","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T15:34:25","slug":"los-angeles-mayor-race-spencer-pratt-shakes-up-primary-in-wary-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/819215\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Mayor Race: Spencer Pratt Shakes Up Primary In Wary City"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tAmong plenty in Hollywood, the race for Los Angeles<\/a> mayor isn\u2019t so much a question of who to support, but rather how did it come to this?<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cA continued mess,\u201d laments one top industry donor.<\/p>\n

\n\tWith less than two weeks to go before the city\u2019s crowded primary, polls point to incumbent Karen Bass<\/a> and reality star Spencer Pratt<\/a> emerging as the top two heading into a November runoff. Councilmember Nithya Raman<\/a>, meanwhile, is hoping to break through.<\/p>\n

\n\tEach of the candidates has shored up constituencies in recent weeks ahead of the June 2 election: Bass has lined up union support in particular, including the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees<\/a>, yet she is likely to remain the focal point of long-simmering anger over issues ranging from homelessness to last year\u2019s fire response.<\/p>\n

\n\tRaman has drawn heavy donor backing from writers and others in the creative community, yet she has slipped in polls since a so-so showing in the primary\u2019s marquee debate.<\/p>\n

\n\tPratt has seized on the fervor for an outsider with a knack for drawing attention, with some prominent Democrats backing his campaign. Yet he faces doubts that he can emerge the ultimate winner as a Trump-ish candidate in a November election that likely will be a referendum on the president.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cAngelenos are frustrated and angry and they are looking for a place to direct those feelings,\u201d said Dan Schnur, professor at USC\u2019s Annenberg School as well as Berkeley and Pepperdine. \u201cKaren Bass is the incumbent mayor and is definitionally part of the political establishment. So much of that rage gets directed toward her. What is still unclear is the extent her opponents take advantage of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tHow L.A. Got Here\t<\/p>\n

\n\tFour years ago, Bass was engaged in a highly competitive campaign against real estate developer Rick Caruso, who tapped into voter discontent over the city\u2019s homelessness crisis. But Bass, a well-respected member of Congress and, earlier, the state Assembly, also sounded the alarm as an outsider to the city establishment, and handily beat Caruso in the general election.<\/p>\n

\n\tShe started building a reelection war chest early and, even in the midst of the tumultuous summer of the 2024 presidential election, was able to draw an extensive list of contributions from longtime entertainment industry donors including J.J. Abrams, Marta Kauffman and Jeffrey Katzenberg.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe January 2025, fires in particular put Bass\u2019 future in doubt, as she was in Ghana as the inferno destroyed much of Pacific Palisades. Since then, her prospects have seemingly ebbed and flowed, as Caruso took to social media to relentlessly hammer rebuilding efforts, while Bass took a defiant stance as Donald Trump\u2019s ICE agents conducted raids across the city last summer.<\/p>\n

\n\tCaruso, who looked to be Bass\u2019 primary rival in a rematch, ultimately decided not to run, passing not just on a mayor\u2019s race but also a gubernatorial bid. Another rival, Austin Beutner, dropped out. But on the day of the filing deadline, Bass found herself with a surprise opponent, Raman, who had been an ally and stood to run to her left in the heavily Democratic city.<\/p>\n

\n\tRaman\u2019s district encompasses the Hollywood Hills, Studio City, Sherman Oaks and nearby areas, with a significant contingent of the industry\u2019s creative class among her constituents. She has been able to line up donors including Ed Zwick, Colin Jost, Chelsea Handler and John August, as well as David Mandel, who earlier gave to Bass.<\/p>\n

\n\tAll of the candidates have made boosting film and TV production in the city a priority, even if the real impact likely comes from production incentives at the state or federal level.<\/p>\n

\n\tRaman recently told Deadline<\/a>, \u201cI sit in City Hall every day and I feel a rudderlessness in the building. There is a lack of creative thinking. Besides all the new projects and programs suddenly being announced because there s an election, there is a lack of ambition for the future of this city.\u201d She has said that she would move more aggressively to streamline bureaucracy and make it more \u201cpredictable\u201d for the industry to invest in the city.<\/p>\n

\n\tRELATED: Battle For L.A.: Mayor Candidate Nithya Raman On Production Crisis, Bass Attacks, Pratt Stunts, LA28 & Paramount-WBD Merger Dangers<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\n\tBass told Deadline<\/a> that Raman \u201chas never initiated one thing for the industry, and has recused herself from everything. I understand she has a familial connection, but\u2026 she has not shown any leadership at all while being on council, so it\u2019s hard for me to understand how, then, you show major leadership as mayor.\u201d When it comes to production, Bass has pointed to efforts to eliminate red tape and location costs, among other industry initiatives.<\/p>\n

\n\tBy April, reports showed that Raman and Pratt slightly outraised Bass, further evidence that the race remained competitive. <\/p>\n

\n\tBut the dynamics shifted with the May 6 mayoral debate, as Pratt exceeded expectations given his lack of political experience, as his most prominent role has been as a love-to-hate reality star on The Hills and social media influencer.<\/p>\n

\n\tSince then, Pratt\u2019s candidacy, which has seized on the possibilities of AI-generated political videos, has caught the attention of the national media, whether it be ABC News or TMZ, along with a slew of laudatory coverage on the right including Fox News Digital and the California Post. That has helped elevate the mayoral race to the point where, in response to a reporter\u2019s question earlier this week, Trump expressed his backing of Pratt<\/a>, adding, \u201cI hear he\u2019s been a big MAGA person.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPratt has managed to draw support from Democrats, including prominent industry donors like Haim Saban, the longtime mega-fundraiser for the party, and other figures including Laura Wasserman, the music supervisor and former wife of Casey Wasserman. David Foster and his wife, Katharine McPhee, hosted a fundraiser for him earlier this month, and figures like Brett Ratner and Bobby Kotick are among his other donors.<\/p>\n

\n\tDirector Spencer Kahn posted on X this week that Pratt was \u201cvery smart. He\u2019s got a political science degree at USC. He also has one thing any leader of LA should have: charisma. That\u2019s my crystal power, reality tv, USC poli sci, burnt down house, common sense, high energy, good dad, unite the city, I Love LA Mayor.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tMathew Littman of political strategy firm HowLitt credits Pratt with understanding how to break through with a communications message, something many Democrats do not. \u201cPeople were not paying attention. Spencer Pratt has forced people to,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\tEven so, he said, \u201cpeople like Karen Bass personally and that probably will bode well for her in a general election.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPratt and Raman, Littman said, are \u201cvessels for the anger\u201d over what has happened in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt is the Donald Trump thing \u2014 \u2018I am going to blow things up because it can\u2019t get much worse.\u2019 But it can be much worse.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWhile Pratt is only the latest in a long line of outsider candidates seeking to shake up City Hall, he has name ID and a narrative tied to the city\u2019s recent trauma: His home was destroyed in the Palisades fires<\/a>, something he blames squarely on Bass.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cEverything I am saying is common sense,\u201d he recently told CNN. \u201cWe\u2019ve just lost it in Los Angeles.\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tPratt\u2019s Reality Check\t<\/p>\n

\n\tAs he has risen in the polls and prominence, so too has his past as a brash, reality TV persona.<\/p>\n

\n\tJon Vein, an entrepreneur and former entertainment executive and longtime donor and activist in Democratic politics, recently posted a lengthy warning on Facebook about Pratt.<\/p>\n

\n\tVein\u2019s brother, Larry, a Palisades resident who was behind the Pali Strong recovery campaign, had become a point person for fire recovery information. He was awarded FireAid charity funds and those funds were transferred to a non-profit. Because Pali Strong did not have 501(c)(3) status, Larry was required to submit for approval any expenditures which he wanted to make in accordance with his grant, Vein noted. In many cases, such as a community wide event at the Santa Monica Pier, Larry Vein went significantly out of pocket, he said. However, Pratt targeted Larry, sweeping him into unfounded controversy, adding substantially to other interpersonal and financial stresses, Vein said.<\/p>\n

\n\tJon Vein wrote, \u201cOn a personal level, Spencer Pratt publicly brutalized my brother Larry on social media. He spread falsehoods about him and targeted him purely to elevate himself online. He is a bully, and our family is considering possible actions to hold him accountable. As many of you know, Larry took his life a couple weeks ago.\u201d His death was ruled a suicide.<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom a qualifications level, among other things, Vein pointed out Pratt\u2019s financial challenges as well as Pratt\u2019s association with Alex Jones, the conspiracy theorist who was found liable to parents for a conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook massacre was a hoax.<\/p>\n

\n\tVein wrote, \u201cHis fame was built largely on provoking conflict, humiliating people, and creating outrage for entertainment and personal gain. That may work in reality television and social media culture, but it is not leadership, and it is certainly not qualification to run one of the largest and most complex cities in America.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tPratt did not respond to a request for comment.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the recent debate, Pratt was asked how his experience would qualify him to manage a $14 billion budget. \u201cI\u2019m humble. I\u2019m going to surround myself with the smartest people in the world,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n

\n\tIf he makes the runoff, Pratt\u2019s biggest challenge may not be any past reality TV controversies but something more structural: Running in a city where Democrats hold a lopsided voter-registration edge, The mayor\u2019s race is nonpartisan, but the last Republican to be elected mayor was Richard Riordan in 1993, winning another term in 1997.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the CNN interview, Pratt was asked about why he became a Republican, and he cited the need to buy a gun for protection after he emerged as a \u201chated reality star\u201d amid his role on The Hills. He said that Republicans were the only ones who supported concealed weapons permits. Asked to name a political role model, Pratt named Jesus Christ, but after anchor Elex Michaelson asked him for a modern choice, he named Barack Obama.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs Pratt\u2019s candidacy capitalizes on the dismay of Angelenos, the voter pool of the November election will likely be far different that the primary, a referendum on the president. As one Democratic fundraiser put it, if Bass and Pratt are the choices, \u201cI think it\u2019s her,\u201d despite the anti-incumbent sentiment. \u201cShe\u2019s very lucky.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cFrom Bass\u2019 perspective, this is a campaign about fire and ICE,\u201d Schnur said. \u201cIf she is able to convince voters that her pushback on Trump is a defining characteristic, then she will probably win.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cWhether Pratt has a chance of winning or not,\u201d he said, depends on whether the fire response are the issues that are \u201cfront and center.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tTo some, the state of the race, though, reflects years of dismay over the level of enduring civic involvement in the city and the need for a more robust base of private and individual support. The irony is that Los Angeles will soon be on the global stage with the World Cup and the next mayor will preside over the 2028 Summer Olympics.<\/p>\n

\n\tDonna Bojarsky, the founder of Future of Cities: Los Angeles, said, \u201cThe malaise surrounding this election speaks to the deep frustrations across the city. Despite all these international events, I would say there\u2019s little joy in Mudville.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Among plenty in Hollywood, the race for Los Angeles mayor isn\u2019t so much a question of who to…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":819216,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[5123],"tags":[1582,276,36555,5413,78551,2961,224,36423,5337,249286,190258],"class_list":["post-819215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-ca","tag-california","tag-electionline","tag-karen-bass","tag-l-a-local","tag-la","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-mayor","tag-losangeles","tag-nithya-raman","tag-spencer-pratt"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/116630288282329994","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819215","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=819215"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/819215\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/819216"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=819215"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=819215"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=819215"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}