L.A. left lines up against mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt

Unions, progressives increasingly see former star of The Hills as a political threat as his anti-woke message resonates with L.A. voters.

Published May 11, 2026  •  2 minute read

Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt. Photo by Andy Kropa /The Associated Press

Los Angeles mayoral candidate and former reality television star Spencer Pratt is facing an uphill battle as progressive forces in the city marshal to fight his campaign.

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A union-sponsored ad targets Pratt’s ideas for one of America’s most left-leaning cities, saying the former star of The Hills unduly targets the homeless and lobbies for more police instead of social workers in that city. Filings from that city’s Ethics Commission show the ad was funded by a group called “LA Unions Opposed to Spencer Pratt for Mayor 2026.” That group is sponsored by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

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Ad could help Pratt: Experts

But American politicians, including Sen. Ted Cruz, say the ad could backfire on the coalition of California progressives out to stop Pratt, saying Angelenos are increasingly frustrated with that city’s growing rates of crime, open-air drug use and homelessness, along with what is being perceived as Mayor Karen Bass’ administration’s disinterest in combatting the problem.

Pratt, seen as a Republican outsider in a blue city, has launched an independent campaign against Bass, and gained popularity among Angelenos after taking the mayor to task over crime, homelessness and her response to the L.A. wildfires during a recent TV debate. He faces both Bass, a former Democrat congresswoman and socialist councilwoman Nithya Raman.

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The latter challenged Pratt over homelessness, to which Pratt replied: “I will go with her beneath the Harbor Freeway tomorrow with her and we can find some of these people she’s going to offer treatment for and she’s gonna get stabbed in the neck. These people do not want a bed. They want fentanyl or super meth.”

Pratt touching a nerve

Bass, the incumbent, is one of several American mayors (such as Chicago’s Brandon Johnson, Boston’s Michelle Wu and Seattle’s Katie Wilson) increasingly seen as unwilling or unable to combat rising crime, high cost of living, homelessness, drug use and violence in their cities due to their ultra-progressive, “woke” political ideologies that have affected Democrat-leaning cities for years. Pratt is tapping into residents’ frustrations and making the race for mayor competitive, gaining tens of millions of views for his campaign ads.

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