On Saturday, Spencer Pratt, a candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, took his campaign directly to the core of downtown. He addressed a crowd of about 300 people gathered in the ballroom of the historic Alexandria Hotel.
The gathering served both as an opportunity for attendees to meet the candidate and as a rally encouraging voter participation. A diverse group attended, including longtime residents, property owners, and younger voters who usually show little interest in city politics.
“I live downtown, and it’s in bad shape. We need to do something about it,” Van Arthur shared with The California Post after he voted for Pratt.
Arthur mentioned that this was his first time participating in an election.
“It’s difficult to trust politicians,” he admitted. “But when someone like Spencer comes around and genuinely engages with the community, I respect that effort.”
For years, downtown Los Angeles has invested substantial resources in trying to transform itself beyond just being a hub for commuters.
Luxury apartments have risen, restaurants and entertainment venues moved in and developers pitched a vision of urban revival.
Isaac Shomof owner of the Alexandria Hotel and more than 1,500 residential units downtown, hosted the event and called the downtown area one of Los Angeles’ most unique neighborhoods, adding that while major investments have poured into over the years, public safety has to remain a top priority.
“As you can see how pretty and beautiful this downtown is, because you don’t find that beauty anywhere else in the city of LA,” Shomof said.
But he said maintaining occupancy has become increasingly difficult.
“Tenants do not like to be downtown due to the crime and homelessness.”
Shomof said he had previously brought concerns and ideas directly to Mayor Karen Bass but felt little had changed.
For some attendees, safety concerns have become deeply personal.
Fears about being a woman in Los Angeles have changed the way Maggie Knossen moves through the city.
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“Sometimes I try to look less like a girl because I don’t feel safe, which is weird,” she told The California Post.
“I think just more common sense. No egos, just let’s fix it,” she said, explaining why she cast her vote for Pratt on Saturday.
Raul Claros, founder of California Rising and a candidate for Los Angeles City Council District 1 running against Eunisses Hernandez, also attended and framed Pratt’s appearance as part of a broader political backlash building across Los Angeles.
“We’re very clear: anybody but Eunice Hernandez, anybody but Karen Bass,” Claros said. “If Spencer Pratt’s the man, then we’re here to listen and roll up our sleeves and clean this place up.”
Others described a larger fight over downtown’s future, envisioning a neighborhood where families stay, children walk to school and residents can rely on transit, businesses and public spaces without feeling pushed elsewhere.
One resident noted downtown generates roughly 30% of the city’s tax revenue and argued Los Angeles rises and falls with the health of its urban core.
“When downtown’s successful, all of LA is really thriving.”
The downtown push also came as Pratt’s campaign appears to be gaining momentum in the race’s closing days.
Campaign filings released Friday showed Pratt raised roughly $2.7 million between April 19 and May 15, nearly matching the approximately $2.8 million Mayor Karen Bass has raised since entering the race in 2024.
The filings show Pratt pulled in 8,490 contributions during that period and entered the final sprint with roughly $1.42 million cash on hand, slightly ahead of Bass and mayoral rival Nithya Raman.
With the June 2 primary approaching, Pratt has increasingly centered his campaign around public safety, voter frustration and reviving neighborhoods many residents believe City Hall has left behind.
