Speaking to reporters outside a restaurant where he gathered with supporters, Pratt signaled he would welcome a matchup with Bass, a former member of Congress and the first Black woman to serve as mayor.
After a tough first term framed by the most destructive wildfire in city history and an ongoing struggle with widespread homelessness, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass advanced to a November runoff Tuesday as she fights to stay in City Hall against challengers from both ends of the political spectrum.
“I appreciate you for standing with me when others doubted me, because you know who I am,” she told supporters. “I have devoted my entire life to serving the city that I love, where I was born, and I’m going to continue to do that all the way to victory in November.”
Spencer Pratt, a Republican and former star of the reality television show “The Hills,” was second in early returns. Pratt accuses Bass of letting the fires get out of control and failing to make enough progress on the homeless crisis.
Speaking to reporters outside a restaurant where he gathered with supporters, Pratt signaled he would welcome a matchup with Bass, a former member of Congress and the first Black woman to serve as mayor.
“This is not a candidate that I’m too concerned about,” he said.
“I got in this because as a citizen, I felt like my city failed — myself, my neighbors, my family,” Pratt said. “Mayor Bass has allowed the city to be covered in potholes. We don’t have sidewalks. We don’t have lights.”
“I’m an Angeleno who said ‘Enough is enough,’” Pratt said.
Bass has acknowledged that his time in office has been bumpy but aimed at reductions in homelessness and a historically low homicide rate in the nation’s second most populous city.
Running behind Bass and Pratt was Nithya Raman, a former ally of the mayor and a progressive city council member elected with support from the Democratic Socialists of America. A Democrat, Raman campaigned on promises to reduce inequality, revive the slumping entertainment industry, and build more housing. Despite his short campaign, it could be said that he ran a successful one; were it not for Pratts’ media impact, he might be headed for a runoff with Bass.
However, if the Democrats want to retain California, Bass will need Raman on her ticket. The number of votes he garnered, his ideas, and his political presence are essential for the current mayor of Los Angeles to win.
