Trump's Praise of Spencer Pratt Could Hurt Him in L.A. Mayor's Race

Two leading Democratic candidates for Los Angeles mayor have tried to connect their main opponent to President Trump, an unpopular figure in the city. Trump recently indicated to reporters that he supports Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former reality TV star, saying he would like to see him do well. Karen Bass, the incumbent mayor, faces criticism over her absence during catastrophic Los Angeles fires in January 2025. Her leading challengers are Spencer Pratt, whose Pacific Palisades home burned, and Nithya Raman, a liberal City Council member. The June 2 primary will send the top two vote-getters to a fall runoff if no candidate wins more than 50 percent. Labor support for Bass has included spending on an ad to improve Pratt’s standing with Republican voters, potentially affecting vote totals and runoff outcomes.

"The two leading Democratic candidates running for Los Angeles mayor have for months been trying to link their most prominent opponent to President Trump, an unpopular figure in the overwhelmingly Democratic city. Mr. Trump just made it much easier for them. On Wednesday, the president indicated to reporters that he supported Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former reality TV star like himself. I'd like to see him do well, the president replied. I heard he's a big MAGA person."

"Karen Bass, who was elected mayor in 2022, is fighting to hold onto her seat after a barrage of criticism that she was absent during the catastrophic fires in Los Angeles in January 2025. Her two leading challengers are Mr. Pratt, whose Pacific Palisades home burned down during the fires, and Nithya Raman, a liberal City Council member. The candidates are competing in a June 2 primary. If no one receives more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two finishers, regardless of party, will proceed to a runoff in the fall."

"Recently, it appeared that the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, which is supporting Ms. Bass, was trying to elevate Mr. Pratt by spending $221,000 on an ad aimed at burnishing his profile among Republican voters rather than impugning him. While there are far fewer Republicans than Democrats in the city, if most of them coalesced around Mr. Pratt, he could receive more votes than Ms. Raman. Political experts said Ms. Bass's allies were likely trying to ensure that she didn't have to run against another Democrat in the general election."

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