Viewers of the Los Angeles mayoral debate overwhelmingly think Spencer Pratt won after his fiery performance against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and socialist Councilmember Nithya Raman.
An online poll from NBC Los Angeles showed that of Thursday morning, 89% of voters picked Pratt when asked who they thought emerged victorious from the Wednesday night showdown.
During the debate, the former reality TV star and Palisades Fire victim channeled months of frustration with the city and the state into an effective argument for his campaign, viewers said.
When asked if the debate made voters change their minds about who to support, 23% of respondents to the NBC LA poll said it had.
In a sampling of hundreds of responses the outlet got, many viewers admitted that Pratt appeared to be a very formidable candidate.
“Pratt was surprisingly good and I thought he would be an unserious bro, but his grief that everyone is making fun of is actually real,” one person wrote. “It was clear that Bass and Raman are the unserious ones about improving the quality of life for citizens of LA. Pratt won my vote.”
“Spencer Pratt, with the little experience he has, surprisingly outperformed Bass and Raman, which really says a lot about their inability to lead,” another added. “He is new to politics, they have been years and years in politics and in charge. Yet, the policies they propose they haven’t done. Pratt shows he is a person of action. Bass and Raman show they are inept.”
A third said that Pratt “showed his grasp of the issues, while “Bass and Nithya have their hearts in the very wrong place.”
Pratt has gained momentum in recent weeks, using a series of widely praised ads to generate online buzz and fundraising.
On Tuesday, Pratt released a video showing his mother breaking down in tears during a visit to the lot where her son’s Palisades home once stood.
The new clip came out after comments by Bass attacking the candidate for “exploiting the grief” of wildfire victims.
Bass has been widely criticized for her response to the January 2025 wildfires, which caused billions in damage and killed several people. Pratt lost his home in the fire and lives in the trailer on the lot — something he highlighted in a recent viral campaign ad.
