Spencer Pratt’s campaign for mayor of Los Angeles is no longer just a strange celebrity-politics headline.
Early primary results placed the former The Hills star in serious contention for a November runoff against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass, though the second spot had not been fully settled as remaining ballots continued to be counted.
After Tuesday’s primary, Bass secured a place in the Nov. 3 runoff. The Los Angeles Times reported that the final opponent could take days to determine, with Pratt and Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman still fighting for the second spot.
Pratt Was in Second Place Early Wednesday
The early numbers gave Pratt a surprising position in a race that had already become one of the most unusual contests in California politics.
Reuters reported that Bass had 34.8% of the vote, followed by Pratt at 30.4% and Raman at 22.3%.
Those numbers made a Bass-Pratt runoff possible, but not final. California counts mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day and arrive later, so close races can shift after election night.
Pratt Entered the Race After the Palisades Fire
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Pratt’s campaign had a personal starting point. He lost his home in the January 2025 Palisades fire, a disaster that reshaped the political environment around Bass and became central to his run.
His message focused on crime, homelessness, public safety, wildfire recovery, and frustration with City Hall.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Pratt blamed Bass for the destruction of his home and presented himself as a candidate willing to confront problems he said city leadership had failed to solve.
Bass Advanced, but the Matchup Is Still Unsettled
Bass entered the race as the sitting mayor of the nation’s second-largest city, but the primary showed how much voter frustration had built around homelessness, wildfire recovery, public safety, and the city’s direction.
Because no candidate appeared to win a majority, the race moves toward a November runoff.
The open question is whether Bass will face Pratt or Raman. Raman’s campaign has criticized Bass from the left on housing, homelessness spending, and police raises, giving voters a different alternative from Pratt’s public-safety-focused campaign.
Final Ballot Counting Could Take Days
The Pratt-vs.-Bass storyline should still be treated as possible, not locked.
Reuters reported that most Californians vote by mail and that ballots postmarked by Election Day have one week to arrive. That process is why the second runoff spot may not be settled immediately.
For now, the careful version is simple: Bass has advanced to the runoff, Pratt was sitting in second place in early results, Raman remained close enough to matter, and Los Angeles may not know the final November matchup until more ballots are counted.