A controversial mayor, a struggling city, and an unlikely hero stepping up to rescue his beloved hometown.
This is the latest reality unfolding in Los Angeles, playing out in a limited engagement until November.
If reality TV star Spencer Pratt secures his spot through California’s ‘top two’ primary system—where he currently holds second place, trailing only Democratic Socialist city councilwoman Nithya Raman—his upcoming face-offs with current Mayor Karen Bass promise to be captivating.
Pratt has seemingly cracked a code that has puzzled Republicans for years: how to highlight the shortcomings of Democratic leadership in America’s major cities.
This task is made easier by the undeniable challenges LA faces. With rising crime, pervasive homelessness, stifling bureaucracy, and a slow recovery from devastating fires, the setting is ripe for Pratt’s campaign themes of ‘change versus status quo’ and ‘outsider versus establishment.’
Amid widespread disillusionment with institutions, Pratt has an opportunity to forge a coalition that transcends traditional political lines. However, support from former President Donald Trump might not play in his favor, as the MAGA association is not particularly popular in Los Angeles.
Pratt’s electoral tent could house Republicans, independents, frustrated Democrats, younger voters, politically disengaged voters, and those who rarely vote but are dissatisfied with the status quo. That advantage will only be boosted if he has a chance to debate Bass in public again. (He ran circles around her in a May faceoff and polls deemed him the winner.)
The strengths of Bass, a 72-year-old lifelong cog in the Democratic machine, are coalition-building and establishment savvy.
Pratt’s electoral tent could house Republicans, independents, frustrated Democrats, politically disengaged voters and those who rarely vote but are dissatisfied with the status quo
The strengths of Bass, a 72-year-old lifelong cog in the Democratic machine, are coalition-building and establishment savvy
Pratt poses with residents and supporters in Hyde Park, Los Angeles on May 20, 2026
Pratt’s strength is performance.
Debate audiences often reward the latter more than political professionals would like to admit.
A candidate who can turn a mayoral race into entertainment has at least some chance of changing who shows up to vote, remaking the electorate to his advantage. And Pratt will have months to do it.
He is, of course, a celebrity (of sorts) in a city where fame is the coin of the realm. Unlike most candidates, he knows how to attract attention, create viral moments and generate coverage. His supporters understand influencer culture, social media, AI-generated content and the modern attention economy better than many professional political operatives, so he starts with an earned-media advantage that most mayoral candidates could never hope to match.
He has virtually no downside for being unconventional. While traditional politicians are punished for saying unusual things, Pratt built his entire public persona around unpredictability. What might be a contretemps for another candidate often becomes content for him.
He also projects a kind of authenticity that many modern politicians struggle to match. Whether voters agree with him or not, many perceive him as saying exactly what he thinks rather than delivering carefully focus-grouped talking points. That will contrast with Bass, whose rhetoric leading up to the first round of voting reached for populist notes that sounded inauthentic to many ears.
Finally, Pratt’s advancement to the November run-off is also likely to set off a fundraising spectacle.
Instead of relying primarily on traditional donor networks, he could potentially raise meaningful sums through livestreams, merchandise, celebrity connections and small-dollar online donations gambits.
He’s already capturing the hearts and wallets of some of LA’s most powerful music executives – Universal Music Group’s chairman and chief executive Lucian Grainge and his son, CEO of Atlantic Records, Elliot Grainge.
Pratt has a chance to make the November election less about governance and more about culture, energy, relevance and whether Los Angeles feels like it is moving in the right direction.
Mark Halperin is the editor-in-chief and host of the interactive live video platform 2WAY and the host of the video podcast ‘Next Up’ on the Megyn Kelly network
Bass wants voters to judge managerial competence. Pratt wants voters judging the status quo itself – and that may be the most important advantage of all.
But here’s – what they call in the reality TV show business – the pivot.
Given all these advantages, Pratt is still unlikely to beat Bass in the general election given the city’s overwhelmingly Democratic voting population.
The strongest argument against him is that generating attention and running a city are not the same thing. The history of celebrity candidates is mixed. For every Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are many more entertainers and minor celebrities who have attracted enormous publicity but failed to persuade voters they could actually govern.
The real question is not whether Pratt can dominate the conversation. He almost certainly can.
The question is whether he can convince enough Los Angeles voters, including a significant number of Democrats, that City Hall needs disruption more than experience.
Set your DVRs.
Mark Halperin is the editor-in-chief and host of the interactive live video platform 2WAY and the host of the video podcast ‘Next Up’ on the Megyn Kelly network
