Spencer Pratt climbs to second in Los Angeles mayoral race

Spencer Pratt’s run for Los Angeles mayor has become less a celebrity curiosity than a sign of voter anger. The 42-year-old former reality television star, who has never held elected office, moved into second place in a UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs poll as he tried to turn frustration over homelessness, wildfire recovery and city leadership into a political opening.

The poll showed incumbent Mayor Karen Bass at 25%, Pratt at 11% and City Councilmember Nithya Raman at 9%, with 40% of likely voters still undecided. The numbers leave Bass ahead, but they also show a race in which no candidate has yet broken through. The primary nominating election is set for June 2, 2026, and if no one wins a majority, the contest will move to a November runoff.

Pratt has leaned into his outsider status. In a conversation with Adam Yamaguchi, he said his “common sense” approach would appeal to voters and that he was trying to “shake up city hall.” He has cast the race as a test of whether Los Angeles is ready to reject familiar political names after years of complaints about homelessness and the city’s response to disasters.

That pitch has put him on the edge of history. If elected, Pratt would become the first Republican mayor of Los Angeles since Richard Riordan left office in 2001 after two terms. It would also mark one of the most unusual political ascents in recent city history, from reality TV to a campaign that has drawn attention far beyond Los Angeles.

The campaign has not been without controversy. Pratt has faced questions over his residency and eligibility after questions were raised about whether he was living in Santa Barbara County after the January 2025 Palisades Fire destroyed his home. Pratt rejected those questions, and he has continued to frame his campaign around anger over Bass’s wildfire response and a broader sense that city government is not working for residents.

Pratt, Bass and Raman faced off in a heated debate earlier this week, underscoring how quickly the race has hardened into a referendum on leadership rather than a referendum on fame. With a crowded field still in play and nearly half the electorate undecided, Pratt’s rise says as much about Los Angeles politics as it does about his own ambitions.