Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt has been praised for his new ad highlighting just how filthy the city's streets really are. Pratt, 42, a former reality television star, posted the video to his X account on Sunday, showing him donning a hazmat suit as he power-washed a sidewalk in the city of Angels.
The ad began with a cleared-off black top featuring stenciled writing that read: "Imagine if the streets were this clean. Spencer Pratt for mayor of LA." The camera then panned to a woman sweeping the sidewalk, who claimed current Mayor Karen Bass "sent her little goons after me" because she was an activist, and expressed her support for Pratt.
A text overlay stated: "Spencer Pratt actually listens to the people trying to clean LA. For the first time in years, LA citizens finally feel heard." It continued: "We're tired of leadership that ignores the problem. We're tired of a corrupt mayor bringing our city down. LA residents are doing the work City Hall refused to do."
As of Sunday evening, the video had been viewed more than 437,000 times, with X users from across the country praising Pratt for the ad. One woman posted: "Already pressure washing the streets and he's not even mayor yet," while another called it "brilliant advertising." A third X user agreed, calling it "one of the most ingenious and cutting-edge political campaigns ever. Pratt is shaping the future of messaging for decades to come."
Others agreed that Los Angeles' streets need cleaning. An X user wrote: "You got that right - I've visited LA from the Midwest three times over the past decade and each time it felt more unclean and more unsafe. I hope you win, you have a great vision! from the bottom up, I hope the next time we visit will be better than ever!" An LA native shared: "Growing up in Santa Monica in the 80's/90's was the best childhood ever. Liberal policies destroyed my beautiful hometown, and it's the reason I joined the military, and never looked back. It's funny how everyone attacks your name, but never your policies."
Some also suggested other politicians should follow Pratt's lead. One netizen shared: "I love that you're doing this, and I hope that it spills over into other liberal cities that have done such a terrible job, like Portland." Another added: "America is slowly healing, and when LA and NY is back, the rest will follow."
Pratt is facing off against incumbent Karen Bass and fellow mayoral hopeful LA Councilmember Nithya Raman in the race. A primary is scheduled for June 2, with Bass considered the favorite. However, current polling indicates the race may go to a November 3 runoff as none of the candidates have an outright majority.
As Pratt tries to separate himself from his opponents, he has focused his campaign on the high levels of drug use and rampant homelessness in Los Angeles. He has vowed to impose a three-week "grace period" to warn criminals, drug users, and homeless people to leave the west coast city.
Pratt's policies have earned him recognition from former Trump advisor Steve Bannon, who said the former TV star is "probably the most Trumpian candidate we've ever seen in terms of house style." Bannon told NPR: "Trump's superpower was bringing in people into politics who hate politics, and that's what [Pratt] is doing online right now." President Donald Trump has also said he would "like to see him do well," and Rob Shuter reported that Trump has considered endorsing Pratt. A Republican insider told Shuter: "Trump loves celebrity candidates, and Spencer knows exactly how to dominate headlines. The idea of endorsing him has absolutely been discussed."
Pratt has claimed not to be affiliated with any political party. On Saturday, he posted: "Everyone is trying to claim me for their tribe. There's no R next to my name, there's no D next to my name. I'm not part of a political party, because I hate politicians. I'm just Spencer, husband to Heidi, father to Ryker and Gunner, and I'm a pissed off Angeleno who loves my city and is fed up with what corrupt politicians have done to her."
However, just two days earlier, Pratt gave a CNN interview revealing he had been convinced to register as a Republican because of the party's full embrace of gun rights. Since 2020, Pratt has been registered as Republican but is running as an independent community advocate. In the interview, he said: "When I was a hated reality star I got so many death threats. I had so much security and police. And what did they tell me to do? Get a gun. This is real. I know people don't like guns, but LA is dangerous if you're hated. So, I got a gun. My wife got a gun." He explained that he and his wife needed concealed carry permits, and because Republicans in California are more supportive of concealed carry than Democrats, he chose to register with the GOP.
