Spencer Pratt, the reality TV figure turned political insurgent, is positioned to force a November runoff against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass after a primary that left no candidate with a majority. The contest frames a classic outsider-versus-establishment fight in a city wrestling with wildfires, homelessness and public safety, and it highlights growing voter frustration with city leadership.
Pratt, best known from the MTV show The Hills, surprised many by finishing strong enough to deny Bass an outright win in Tuesday’s primary. The result guarantees a head-to-head in November, giving Pratt five more months to press critiques of the incumbent and broaden his appeal beyond reality TV recognition.
Bass has led Los Angeles since 2022 and came into the race backed by high-profile Democrats like Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., and former Vice President Kamala Harris. Despite those endorsements and a long history in public office, her inability to clear 50 percent in the primary speaks to rising unease among voters about how the city is being managed.
“Obviously, God wanted five more months of me exposing the failures of our mayor,” Pratt gloated to reporters as the returns came in Tuesday evening. That line captured his combative tone and signaled he intends to keep the campaign about perceived failures on fire recovery, homelessness and rising crime.
Pratt has relentlessly hammered Bass on long-standing city problems, making those issues the backbone of his challenge. He has explicitly blamed Bass for the wildfires that devastated more than 18,000 structures in the city, including his Pacific Palisades home, and he has used that personal stake to frame a case for change.
A notable casualty of Pratt’s surge appears to be Los Angeles City Council member Nithya Raman, who once looked like a potential challenger from the left. Raman, a former ally of Bass and a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, fell behind Bass and Pratt and has not conceded as of Wednesday morning.
Pratt runs as a registered Republican in a city where less than 20 percent of voters identify with the GOP, though the mayoral race is officially nonpartisan. That reality makes his path to victory difficult, but it also shows how frustration with local leadership can shift traditional voting patterns when voters prioritize practical city issues over party labels.
Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., suggested Pratt’s appeal is rooted in broad discontent with Bass’s tenure. “He’s catching fire among ardent historic Democrat voters because Karen Bass has been so ineffective,” Issa said, pointing to voters who feel their neighborhoods have been neglected and mismanaged under current policies.
“And every time she opens her mouth, she’s talking about more of the same to people who have seen their streets, both crime-ridden and in fact … ineffectively managed.” Those remarks underscore the argument from Pratt and conservative allies that rhetoric from City Hall has not translated into meaningful fixes for residents.
Bass, unsurprisingly, paints a different picture of her leadership and progress on the city’s toughest problems. “Los Angeles is at a turning point. After decades of rising homelessness, under-built housing and a shrinking police force, it’s Mayor Karen Bass who finally stepped up to change how City Hall works,” reads material from her office that stresses accomplishments under her watch.
“Homelessness is down, more housing is being built, and the LAPD is hiring new officers,” the same material claims, offering a counter-narrative to critics and an appeal to voters who want stability and steady progress. Those lines will likely be repeated by Bass’s team as they prepare for a runoff campaign centered on governance and results.
The coming months will test whether Pratt can expand his base beyond a novelty candidacy and convince a majority of Angelenos to back a registered Republican in a heavily Democratic city. For conservatives watching, his climb is proof that sustained focus on tangible urban issues can unsettle entrenched incumbents even in liberal strongholds.
Voters in Los Angeles will now get a clearer choice in November: stick with a mayor who says she is fixing long-term problems or back a loud outsider promising to hold leadership accountable and reshape priorities. The runoff will be a rare moment where local performance and public frustration could outweigh party loyalty at the ballot box.
