An imperfect underdog attempting to salvage his hometown, a shattered city, and a faulty mayor.
With a limited run through November, it’s the newest reality show in Los Angeles.
After all the votes are counted, unscripted veteran Spencer Pratt is currently in second place, ahead of Democratic Socialist city councilwoman Nithya Raman. If he qualifies under California’s “top two” jungle primary system, his upcoming meetings with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass will be highly anticipated.
For starters, Pratt appears to have found a solution to a dilemma that Republicans have faced for decades: how to draw attention to the shortcomings of Democratic leadership in almost every major American metropolis.
The fact that LA is a complete wreck helps. The “change versus more of the same” and “outsider versus insider” rhetoric that propels Pratt’s campaign is made possible by crime, homelessness, soul-crushing bureaucracy, and a weak recovery following fires that destroyed entire villages.
Pratt has the opportunity to form a coalition that is not necessarily ideological since voters, regardless of political inclinations, are dissatisfied with institutions. (With no assistance from President Donald Trump, who recently complimented the former Hills star). In the City of Angels, having the MAGA designation is not advantageous.
Republicans, independents, disgruntled Democrats, younger voters, politically disengaged voters, and people who seldom cast ballots but are unhappy with the present system might all be found in Pratt’s electoral tent. Only if he gets another opportunity to debate Bass in public will that advantage be strengthened. (In a May matchup, he outperformed her, and surveys declared him the winner.)
Building coalitions and being astute about the establishment are two of Bass’s skills as a 72-year-old lifelong cog in the Democratic machine.
Republicans, independents, disgruntled Democrats, politically apathetic voters, and people who seldom cast ballots but are unhappy with the present quo might all be found in Spencer Pratt’s electoral tent.
Coalition building and establishment savvy are two of incumbent Mayor Karen Bass’s strong points. She is a 72-year-old lifelong Democratic machine cog.
On the campaign trail, Pratt poses with locals and supporters in Hyde Park, Los Angeles.
Performance is Pratt’s strong suit.
The latter are frequently rewarded more by debate audiences than political experts would want to acknowledge.
A candidate has at least a chance of influencing voter turnout and reshaping the electorate in his favor if he can make a mayoral contest entertaining. Pratt will have months to complete the task.
In a city where fame is the currency of the realm, he is, of course, a celebrity (of sorts). He is more adept at drawing attention, making viral moments, and getting media than the majority of contenders. He begins with an earned-media advantage that most mayoral candidates could never hope to match because his fans are more knowledgeable about influencer culture, social media, AI-generated content, and the contemporary attention economy than many experienced political operations.
His unconventionality has almost no drawbacks. Pratt’s entire public character was based on unpredictability, whereas typical politicians are penalized for saying strange things. He frequently finds satisfaction in what would be a problem for another contender.
Additionally, he exudes a genuineness that many contemporary politicians find difficult to match. Regardless of whether people agree with him or not, many believe that he is expressing his opinions directly rather than presenting thoughtfully crafted talking points. This will be in contrast to Bass, whose rhetoric prior to the first round of voting aimed for populist overtones that many people found inauthentic.
Lastly, Pratt’s promotion to the November runoff is probably going to start a fundraising show.
He might be able to generate significant amounts using livestreams, products, celebrity contacts, and small-dollar internet donation schemes rather than depending mostly on conventional donor networks.
He’s already winning over some of LA’s most influential music execs, including Lucian Grainge, chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, and Elliot Grainge, his son and CEO of Atlantic Records.
Pratt has an opportunity to change the focus of the November election from government to culture, vitality, relevance, and whether or not Los Angeles believes it is headed in the right route.
In addition to hosting the video podcast Next Up on the Megyn Kelly network, Mark Halperin is the chief editor and host of the interactive live video platform 2WAY.
Bass wants voters to assess managerial skill. Perhaps the most significant benefit of all is that Pratt wants voters to evaluate the status quo itself.
However, this is what the reality TV program industry refers to as the pivot.
Pratt is still unlikely to defeat Bass in the general election despite all these advantages because the majority of voters in the city are Democrats.
The most compelling argument against him is that managing a city and attracting attention are two different things. Celebrity candidates have a mixed past. For every Arnold Schwarzenegger, there are a lot more artists and lesser-known personalities who have garnered a lot of attention but were unable to convince people that they could truly rule.
Whether Pratt can control the conversation is not the true question. He most likely can.
Whether he can persuade enough Los Angeles voters—many of whom are Democrats—that disruption is more important than experience is the question.
Configure your DVRs.
In addition to hosting the video podcast Next Up on the Megyn Kelly network, Mark Halperin is the chief editor and host of the interactive live video platform 2WAY.
