Spencer Pratt Reaches LA Mayoral Runoff on Homelessness Message Against Karen Bass
Updated
Updated · Slate · Jun 3
Spencer Pratt Reaches LA Mayoral Runoff on Homelessness Message Against Karen Bass
3 articles · Updated · Slate · Jun 3
Summary
Pratt looked set Wednesday to finish second in Los Angeles’ jungle primary, sending the Republican reality-TV figure into a fall runoff against incumbent Karen Bass.
His rise was driven largely by voter anger over homelessness, crime and emergency-response failures, with supporters treating Bass’ handling of the 2025 wildfires as proof City Hall is not working.
Pratt has centered his campaign on clearing encampments and moving homeless residents into mandatory rehab on unspecified federal land, while rejecting official data showing unsheltered homelessness in the city fell 17.5%.
That message has spread through AI-generated social media content and X, resonating with voters who trust what they see over institutional counts and who rank public safety far above affordable housing.
The runoff now sets up a broader fight over whether Los Angeles’ homelessness crisis should be addressed primarily as a public-order problem or a housing and services challenge.