The Republican surge in Los Angeles’ mayoral race is already proving remarkable, as Spencer Pratt has seemingly forced both the race’s progressive candidate, LA City Councilwoman Nithya Raman, and incumbent Mayor Karen Bass to rethink their strategies.
Raman recently backtracked on her past calls to defund the police, arguing in a new interview that the city may actually need more law enforcement despite her previous support for cutting police funding. Meanwhile, Mayor Bass pulled out of a televised mayoral debate scheduled for this week, a move many observers are attributing directly to Pratt’s growing presence in the race.
QUESTION: So you no longer believe in defunding the police?
— Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) May 10, 2026
RAMAN: No. https://t.co/FtGNJmCIbK pic.twitter.com/M1xSpXBqNR
There is no more urgent or possible moment to end the racial, environmental, and moral crisis that is homelessness in LA. Our leaders have finally been forced to listen.
— Nithya Raman (@nithyavraman) June 12, 2020
The path is not complicated: fund services. Fund housing. Fund care.
Defund the police.
"I want to have an honest conversation about public safety. I want to make sure we're paying our city workforce well. I want to make sure we're maintaining our police force and expanding other kinds of responses to calls for help from people," the city councilwoman said. "But we can't do any of that if we are making political decisions about the city's budget instead of real decisions that will deliver real services for people."
"So you no longer believe in defunding the police?"
"No."
"And what caused you to change your mind?"
"You know, I think we need to be able to ensure that the city can respond to calls for service, and we have to make sure that we are able to respond to calls for help around public safety issues," Raman replied. "And I think in order to do that at this moment, with our response system, we need to be able to maintain the size of our police force."
What many viewers speculated was that the real reason was Spencer Pratt, who forced both Nithya Raman and Mayor Karen Bass to confront the realities of their failed policies during last week’s mayoral debate. Pratt pulled no punches, arguing that Raman would probably be “stabbed in the neck” if she approached a homeless person in Los Angeles to offer them treatment, that they wouldn't even be willing to take.
Spencer Pratt takes down Socialist councilwoman Nithya Raman:
— johnny maga (@johnnymaga) May 7, 2026
“I’ll go below the freeway tomorrow with her to find some of these people she’s going to ‘offer treatment’ to. She’s going to get stabbed in the neck. They don’t want a bed—they want fentanyl.” pic.twitter.com/7uzpQQ3Zww
The Spencer Pratt effect quickly hit incumbent Mayor Karen Bass as well, as she backed out of another televised mayoral debate, scheduled for Wednesday, although no reason was given in her statement as to why.
🚨 LMFAO!! LA Mayor Karen Bass has BACKED OUT of a televised mayoral candidate forum originally set for this Wednesday — after getting destroyed by Spencer Pratt
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) May 10, 2026
She’s frantic!
First they mocked Pratt, now they’re TERRIFIED!
Keep pushing 🔥 👏🏻
pic.twitter.com/TTqk4UMUCF
This comes as Pratt has made a significant impact on the mayoral race, at least heading into the primaries. Just weeks ago, Raman led polling projections with roughly a 60 percent chance of becoming Los Angeles’ next mayor.
UPDATE: Nithya Raman remains the frontrunner to be LA’s next Mayor with a 55% chance pic.twitter.com/Ms3HNu2HMY
— Kalshi Politics (@KalshiPolitics) May 4, 2026
But once Pratt’s campaign kicked into high gear, fueled in part by what many enthusiasts called one of the strongest campaign ads of the decade, he quickly began siphoning away voters. Now, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass has reclaimed the lead in the polls.
BREAKING: Karen Bass’ odds to win the Los Angeles Mayor election have hit 50%, their highest point in over a month pic.twitter.com/t73NdkRPoR
— Kalshi Politics (@KalshiPolitics) May 8, 2026
Even if Pratt ultimately falls short in the race itself, his candidacy, alongside figures like California gubernatorial candidates Steve Hilton and Chad Bianco, continues to send a message to voters that if they truly want dramatic change in the state, it may be time to consider voting Republican.
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