Could Spencer Pratt be Los Angeles’ next mayor? The ex-reality TV villain and first-time Republican politician stunned political experts and plenty of observers when he barreled through the first mayoral debate on Wednesday night and wiped the floor with his opponents. 

“The reality is no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth. They are on fentanyl,” Pratt thundered in an attack on his opponent Nithya Raman’s ineffectiveness on the homeless problem. “The DEA statistics says 90% of this is a drug addiction problem. Councilman Raman’s plan for treatment first? I will go below the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her and we can find some of these people she’s going to offer treatment for. She’s going to get stabbed in the neck.”

“I actually thought that [Pratt] had a strong performance,” Mike Bonin, executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs, told TheWrap. “I’m sure the debate organizers were worried, going in, about how the reality TV star bad boy would behave. Would he keep interrupting? But he came across as serious and passionate and funny at times.”

Kamy Akhavan, managing director of USC’s Center for the Political Future, said that between incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Raman, Pratt was a candidate who was “really not taken seriously” before Wednesday.

“The expectations of him were the lowest, so he had the most to gain and the least to lose,” he told TheWrap.

An open NBC4 online survey, which did not require respondents to watch the debate, found the Republican candidate crushing his opponents with more than 80% support, far ahead of Bass and Raman.

Pratt’s appearance underscored how outsider personalities with built-in online audiences are testing whether internet attention can disrupt traditional politics. He seemed to make a strong impression for both broadcast viewers and social media scrollers, and experts told TheWrap that, while social engagement alone won’t win a mayoral race, “The Hills” star effectively tapped into voter frustrations around L.A. leadership, public safety and Hollywood’s ongoing production slowdown.

“I think a lot of people watching were surprised he could string sentences together, so they’re mistaking competence-at-talking for competence-at-governing,” said screenwriter Stephanie K. Smith. “He’s a good performer. And has been for 20 years. That’s the job he’s qualified for.”

The reality star was quick to call out his competitors for their “failures” in their respective roles in government on the debate stage – calling Bass “an incredible liar” and Raman a “terrible” and “random councilmember.” But Akhavan said that Pratt’s political outsider status — and appeal to the very online segment of people following the race — may not prove as beneficial at the polls as it did on the debate stage.

The political expert said Angelenos have historically low turnout. If L.A. were to exceed 20% of its electorate, even for turnout in a mayoral election, it would be considered a good outcome, Akhavan said. As such, going viral on social media may not matter as much to the average Joe.

“Most people are not really paying attention yet,” he said. “So his outsider status at this point doesn’t really help or hurt him, but if he makes it into the top two, it may be a bigger factor in the November election.” 

Bonin theorized that the reality star can get away with his assertiveness and borderline rude comments to the other candidates in a way that his female competitors can not. He said that a crucial factor to consider in people’s perceptions is inherent sexism.

“People don’t judge aggressive behavior from a male candidate the same way they do from a female candidate,” Bonin said. “He can do things in the mayor’s race that, say, Katie Porter in the governor’s race would get criticized for.”

“It’s unfortunate, but I think sexism plays a big role in making it easier for a male candidate to be considered legitimate, especially when he’s up against two women,” he said. And in this case, two women of color. 

The social factor

An AI-generated advertisement in support of Pratt circulated online just one day before the NBC4 mayoral debate depicting a Los Angeles resembling Gotham City and ruled by holier-than-thou aristocrats in 16th-century wigs. The video showed Gov. Gavin Newsom eating cake, former Vice President Kamala Harris chugging a bottle of liquor and Mayor Karen Bass wearing Joker-inspired makeup.

One conservative lawmaker called it “maybe the best political ad of the year.”

It’s an example of how Pratt has been able to effectively harness the frustrations of Angelenos — particularly online.

Still, experts told TheWrap that virality does not always translate to votes in the ballot box, especially in a primary election. Many Los Angeles County residents cannot vote in the mayoral elections – residents in incorporated cities like Santa Monica, West Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena, to name a few, have their own respective mayors. 

“Social media won’t turn out a vote, but social media can have a big impact,” Bonin said. 

Bonin added that Get Out the Vote efforts like door-to-door campaigning, endorsements and in-person fundraising are often more effective than viral videos. More views do not equate more votes. 

“As far as voting behavior, I don’t believe that social media reaction accurately reflects the realities of a political campaign in the second largest city in America,” Steve Caplan, a political advertising expert who teaches at USC, told TheWrap.   

“The attention economy is meaningful, and it means that you’ll get more news coverage and maybe raise some money,” Caplan said. “But on the election side, given the demographics of L.A., it’s an overwhelmingly Democratic area … You have areas that may be supporting him on social media that don’t even have the ability to vote. I think the jury’s out whether it’s enough to make a meaningful difference.”

The expectations of him were the lowest, so he had the most to gain and the least to lose.” – Kamy Akhavan, USC’s Center for the Political Future managing director

Akhavan said that Pratt has proven as a digital-native that he is “skilled at connecting with audiences” as a candidate who is authentic and accessible. But the politics professor emphasized that appealing to voters on an emotional level may be more important than rattling off statistics during a debate. 

“That ultimately is what they’re going to remember, not what percentage he’s going to shrink the Department of Water and Power,” he said. ‘They’re going to remember that he’s the guy that we didn’t take seriously and maybe we should.”

Hollywood’s take

Pratt wrote a Substack post outlining his plans to bring production back to the state, but some professionals do not think that his policies provide enough clarity. 

NBC4 made Hollywood’s film production exodus a crucial point in the mayoral debate, citing viewers who submitted questions on this issue. Several entertainment industry workers told TheWrap they wanted more than just a guaranteed partnership with Sacramento. 

Co-founder of Stay in LA Pamala Buzick Kim criticized Pratt for his lack of practical policy in his approach to bringing film production back to the state. While she supported his shared frustration with the industry, she thought just rhetoric was not enough. 

“’Save Hollywood, Everything is S–t’ isn’t a plan,” she told TheWrap. “He didn’t say what he’d actually do about it. The industry has heard enough rage bait headlines. What we need is someone who can operate the mayor’s office to make filming here functional again.”

Of the three leading candidates, Kim said that Councilmember Raman’s plan is the only one that “has some teeth.”

“Bass touts a discounted permit program that’s unusable and lists it as an accomplishment, but has no forward policy on her campaign page. Pratt has no policy either,” she said. “Try finding a real plan for production on either site. We’ll wait.”

Screenwriter Smith also criticized Pratt for his lack of substance on the debate stage, telling TheWrap she was “unimpressed and unsurprised” by his performance. 

“He came in loud, leaned on personal grievance and called the incumbent a liar within minutes — OK, it’s a debate,” she said. “But underneath the volume, there was almost no platform.”

Smith said that in a normal year the reality star would not have a shot at the mayoral seat, but with Mayor Bass still clawing support back after the catastrophic fires in early 2025, Pratt may have a chance. 

“Bass is wounded, Raman had a rough night and Pratt is a known commodity with a national audience and a media engine that runs 24/7,” she said. “That’s not nothing. My suspicion is he pulls Bass into a November runoff.”

Trump comparison

For some observers, Pratt’s debate performance also invited comparisons to President Donald Trump during his political rise — another celebrity outsider who leaned on media attention, provocation and voter frustration in building political momentum.

USC’s Akhavan said Pratt’s ability to command attention online mirrors the modern political reality that candidates increasingly need to “earn” media coverage if they lack the money to dominate traditional advertising.

“How do you earn media attention? You say provocative things,” Akhavan said. “And he’s very good at that. He’s able to make humorous statements that will go viral.”

Bonin said the similarities between Pratt and Trump are less ideological than stylistic. He pointed to Pratt’s use of social media, candid communication style and willingness to channel voter anger directly.

“The greatest similarity is the anger, the insults and the name-calling,” Bonin said. “I’m not sure that what appeals to people is the name-calling so much as it is that he’s giving voice to frustration because people are pissed.”