Spencer Pratt is betting that internet fame can translate into a Los Angeles mayor's office. The former "The Hills" cast member has weaponized viral videos and celebrity endorsements to challenge an incumbent Democrat, and the gamble appears to be working.
An AI-generated video showing Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as the Joker, California Governor Gavin Newsom dining with elites, and a Batman-like vigilante prowling city streets has racked up over 5 million views on X. It's one of dozens of slickly produced clips designed to boost Pratt's candidacy in a race where Republicans rarely gain traction.
"I'd like to see him do well. He's a character," President Donald Trump said of Pratt to reporters, signaling establishment support.
But the story behind Pratt's political emergence is as much about Bass's vulnerability as it is about his savvy. The mayor faces 56% disapproval among voters, largely stemming from criticism over her handling of the Palisades fires that destroyed thousands of homes last year, including Pratt's own residence.
When Pratt's Pacific Palisades house burned, he pivoted toward social media stardom. He urged followers to stream his wife Heidi Montag's 2010 album "Superficial" to raise rebuild money. The campaign worked spectacularly, launching both their comeback and his political career. Soon Pratt was blaming Bass and Newsom for failing to prevent the fires, and by January, he had formally entered the mayoral race with a promise to "expose the system" and "disinfect the city with our light."
His viral strategy is now yielding tangible results. A Los Angeles Times poll released last week showed Pratt capturing 22% support, placing him in second behind Bass's 30%. City Council member Nithya Raman, a progressive alternative running from the left, garnered 20%, with 16% still undecided. The June 2 primary is already underway with mail voting.
If no candidate reaches 50%, the top two advance to a November 3 runoff. That means Pratt, despite his novelty status, has a realistic path to a head-to-head general election matchup.
"To see, not only online, but to see people in real life getting super excited about this is very unusual," said Los Angeles Republican Party Chair Roxanne Hoge. "There is momentum." She cautioned that "likes and clicks and followers are not votes," but acknowledged a palpable shift in energy.
Pratt's content strategy runs the gamut. Beyond the Batman video, he posted a "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" parody rap mocking his own living situation after TMZ reported he was staying at the Hotel Bel-Air rather than the Airstream trailer featured in earlier campaign materials. The self-aware move demonstrated political instincts sharper than critics might expect.
Some Democrats dismiss his online enthusiasm as artificial. "The majority of users cheering for him online don't live in Los Angeles and won't have a say," they argue. But that argument crumbles against polling data and the fact that Bass herself is bleeding support across the board.
Raman's campaign frames the race as a choice between "a progressive alternative or a MAGA Republican alternative," attempting to consolidate left-leaning voters dissatisfied with Bass. Her campaign formally launched in March, but a lukewarm debate performance in May compared to Pratt's fiery appearance deflated her momentum.
Bass's campaign has acknowledged Pratt's viral presence but expressed confidence in a primary victory. "Anything can happen," a Bass spokesperson told reporters, invoking the shock of Trump's 2016 presidential win as a cautionary tale.
What's undeniable is that Pratt has succeeded where most reality-TV stars attempting political careers have failed: he's seized on genuine voter grievance, weaponized digital media with precision, and positioned himself as an anti-establishment figure in a race where the establishment is deeply unpopular. Whether TikTok virality can close a 8-point polling gap remains uncertain, but the path to November is suddenly wide open.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Pratt's campaign works because he's diagnosed a real problem people are angry about, not because he's famous. If voters decide he's just a gimmick, the novelty evaporates fast."
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