Pratt Outraises Rivals in Los Angeles Mayoral Race

4 weeks ago 0

Spencer Pratt, a leading candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, reported raising significantly more contributions than his opponents in the latest finance period. Between April 19 and May 16, Pratt amassed around $2.72 million, according to the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. In contrast, current mayor Karen Bass raised approximately $283,000, and City Councilmember Nithya Raman collected about $400,000, which included a $60,000 loan to her own campaign.

As of May 16, Pratt’s total reported contributions stood at $3.26 million, slightly ahead of Bass, who reported $3.13 million. Raman has received more than $931,000 in total contributions.

Pratt’s campaign has gained attention partly due to viral videos and his critique of Bass’s handling of the Palisades Fire and issues like public safety and homelessness. With early voting underway, Pratt appears to have a strong chance of advancing to a potential November runoff, despite the city’s Democratic majority and the fact that a Republican hasn’t been elected mayor there since 1997.

Los Angeles’ municipal elections remain nonpartisan, but Pratt is a Republican endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Polls indicate that while Bass is favored, she may not secure enough votes to avoid a runoff. Pratt and Raman are in a close contest for second place.

What The Polls Say

An Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics poll shows Bass leading with 30 percent support, an increase from 20 percent in March. Pratt’s support rose to 22 percent from 10 percent, and Raman follows with 19 percent. The number of undecided voters plummeted from 51 percent in March to 16 percent in May. Conducted between May 9 and 10, this poll involved 1,000 likely voters and has a margin of error of 3 percent.

Tavern Research also placed Bass ahead at 22 percent, with Pratt at 18 percent and Raman at 16 percent. This survey initially found 46 percent undecided, which decreased to 29 percent upon additional follow-up. It was conducted online among 531 likely voters from May 1 to 4, with a margin of error of 6.1 percent.

What the Prediction Markets Show

Prediction markets, which gauge outcome probabilities through trading platforms, indicate shifts over recent days. Bass’s predicted chances increased, moving up to 71 percent from 56 percent. Pratt’s odds decreased slightly to 22 percent from 24 percent, and Raman fell to about 10 percent from 16 percent.

The U.S.-regulated exchange Kalshi reported similar figures, with Bass at 67 percent, Pratt at 27 percent, and Raman around 7 percent as of Monday morning.