Shocking Upset: Spencer Pratt Surpasses Karen Bass in LA Mayor’s Race Fundraising Battle

Spencer Pratt has taken the Los Angeles mayoral race by storm, surpassing incumbent Karen Bass in fundraising during the year’s initial reporting period.

According to recent filings with the city’s Ethics Commission, Pratt, once known for his role on MTV’s “The Hills,” has accumulated close to $540,000 in campaign contributions since January, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

This impressive sum signals a competitive challenge for Bass as she prepares for the crucial June 2 primary election.

Pratt, running as an independent, also managed to out-fundraise progressive Councilmember Nithya Raman, who gathered approximately $530,000 in the same timeframe.

Despite these developments, Bass, leveraging the benefits of her current office, has reported roughly $495,000 in contributions so far this year.

Nevertheless, Bass maintains a significant financial advantage, with her campaign boasting around $2.3 million in available funds accumulated over the past two years.

Polling suggests no candidate is likely to secure more than 50% of the vote in June’s election to avoid a top-two runoff in November. More than a quarter of LA voters remained undecided last month, according to a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll conducted with the Times. 

Bass came in first with 25% support, followed by Raman at 17% and Pratt at 14%.

But a poll earlier this month by UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs showed Pratt in second place with 11% support, a twist that puts the celebrity candidate in a competitive position.

Dan Schnur, a political communications professor at USC and UC Berkeley, called Pratt a “legitimate top-tier candidate” in an interview with the Times.

“The odds are still against him winning in a deep blue city, but he has the potential to make a significant impact on the race,” Schnur said.

Tech entrepreneur Adam Miller, who loaned his campaign $2.5 million, has reportedly raised about $200,000 in donations, though polling has shown him trailing the leading candidates.

Schnur told the Times that the most recent fundraising numbers suggest the race may be closer than many initially expected.

“The fact that Bass hasn’t raised more than her challengers as the incumbent should be of some concern to her campaign,” he said.

Pratt, whose Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in the 2025 wildfire, has used his campaign to sharply criticize Bass handling of disaster response and recovery efforts, as well as the city’s homelessness crisis.

His campaign also is tapping into Angelenos’ frustrations over housing and public safety.

Pratt recently got the endorsement of influential podcaster and comedian Joe Rogan, which led TV personality Andy Cohen to call Rogan a “f—ing idiot.”

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