Reality TV star Spencer Pratt's chances of winning the Los Angeles mayoral race have surged following a headline-grabbing debate performance against his woke rivals, according to prediction market estimates from trading platform Kalshi.
Pratt, 42, has overtaken LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman this week after eviscerating her on the debate stage, the latest odds reveal. The market gives Pratt a 28 percent chance of capturing the mayor's office compared to Raman's 20 percent, with incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the lead at 48 percent.
Voters are just weeks away from casting their ballots on June 2, and Pratt appears to have timed his campaign blitz just in time, with his odds more than doubling in the past month. At a debate on Wednesday night, Pratt was declared the winner over Bass and Raman by 79 percent of viewers polled by NBC, as his brash style won praise from many.
Pratt especially dominated Raman, reducing her to a 'random city councilmember' in a jibe that went viral on social media. The remark came as Raman accused the ex-The Hills star of teaming up with Bass to drive her out of the race, claiming they want to run only against each other 'because they think that is what will help them win.' After the comment drew laughs from the audience, Pratt mocked the notion as he said: 'Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together. I blame this person for burning my house down.'
Pratt launched his campaign after becoming a vocal critic of Bass's tenure as mayor, particularly after his $3.8 million home burned down in the LA wildfires in January 2025. The aspiring politician said he would much rather face only Raman in the election without Bass. 'All the unions support Mayor Bass,' he said. 'You think it's easier to run against the incumbent mayor with all the unions, or a random city councilmember who has been a failure for six years?'
The star accused Bass of mismanaging the response to the fires, which went on to burn down over 11,000 other structures and cause billions in damage. Although he registered as a Republican for the election, Pratt said his campaign is not centered on party affiliation, as he has also made fixing Los Angeles' issues with homelessness and drug use central to his candidacy.
Recent polls show Pratt making gains before voters head to the polls on June 2, with the election heading to a runoff on November 3 if no candidate wins over 50 percent of the vote. Pratt registered at 14 percent support in a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Poll last month, coming behind Bass at 25 percent and Raman at 17 percent.
The debate on Wednesday appeared to only strengthen Pratt in the eyes of many, as pundits said the reality TV star came across as slick and no-nonsense compared to his competitors. LA Times columnist Gustavo Arellano said the debate had 'two winners and one loser,' as he slammed Raman for 'failing' to position herself as a leading candidate for voters. 'At times, Raman was tongue-tied trying to answer simple questions,' the columnist said. 'Raman, who had endorsed Bass's reelection before throwing her hat in at the last minute, came off as inexperienced, touchy and unprepared.'
Arellano added that the 'line of the night' came from Pratt, when he dismissed Raman as a 'random councilmember.' He said the line is 'how the LA political world responded to her entry into the race' and stands in stark contrast to Pratt's 'boisterous bro' image on the debate stage. Meghan McCain was among those who praised Pratt for his performance on Wednesday night as 'absolute raw talent,' describing him as having 'killed the debate.' 'This is not hyperbole - @spencerpratt is the blueprint for how my generation of older millennials needs to communicate and present their ideas and campaign messaging when running for office,' McCain said on X.
