Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass faces two challengers in Tuesday's primary election: city council member Nithya Raman, a Democratic Socialist running to her left, and Spencer Pratt, a Republican reality television personality whose viral campaign has tapped into voter frustration over homelessness and the city's wildfire response. If no candidate receives a majority of votes on June 2, the top two finishers will advance to a November runoff election.
Bass, 72, is seeking reelection with backing from establishment Democrats, labor unions and business groups. She points to an almost 18% drop in street homelessness from 2023 to 2025 as evidence of progress, though she acknowledges more work remains. California Governor Gavin Newsom endorsed Bass on Thursday, lending institutional support to her campaign.
What the Left Is Saying
Progressive critics argue Bass has not done enough to address Los Angeles's homeless crisis despite substantial spending. City Council Member Nithya Raman, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, entered the race arguing that incremental progress is insufficient for a city where more than 40,000 people remain homeless.
"I don't think anybody in Los Angeles right now can say that we are satisfied with spending extraordinary amounts of money on our homelessness response and getting only incremental progress in response. I want to change that," Raman said during a debate.
Raman has proposed aggressive interventions including stronger rent protections and redirecting police funding toward social services. She fought to lower allowable landlord rent increases, supported a $30-an-hour minimum wage for hotel workers and opposed pay raises for police officers. The Police Union and major real estate interests have responded by spending nearly one million dollars in attack ads against her campaign.
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative voters are rallying around Spencer Pratt, a 42-year-old former reality television star from the MTV series "The Hills." Pratt says he was inspired to run after his home burned in last year's Palisades fire, which destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people. He blames the city's lack of preparedness for the devastation.
"The reality is, no matter how many beds you give these people, they are on super meth. They are on fentanyl. These people do not want a bed," Pratt said during a debate, arguing that homelessness is driven by drug addiction and that people need to be arrested and placed into rehabilitation repeatedly if necessary.
Pratt has the support of President Trump and podcast host Joe Rogan. He describes himself as a Republican and is a COVID-19 vaccine denier who sells crystals online. His populist campaign has resonated with voters frustrated by tent encampments, even though crime statistics show overall declines in Los Angeles.
What the Numbers Show
A UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times poll released this week shows Bass at 26% support, Raman at 25%, and Pratt at 22%. The three candidates are separated by just four percentage points, suggesting a tight race where any of them could advance to the November runoff. Bass faces vulnerabilities with an unfavorable rating exceeding 50% among likely voters.
The city's homeless population stands at more than 40,000 people. While Bass's administration cites an almost 18% reduction in street homelessness from 2023 to 2025, critics point to persistent visible encampments as evidence that the crisis remains unresolved. The Palisades fire destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people last year.
The Bottom Line
Tuesday's primary will determine whether Los Angeles faces a choice between progressive change or conservative disruption in November. With three competitive candidates polling within four points of each other, the race could hinge on which voter coalition turns out. Bass must mobilize her establishment base while fending off attacks from both flanks. Raman needs to consolidate progressive voters disappointed with Bass's record. Pratt is betting his celebrity and outsider status will drive turnout among conservatives and disaffected voters frustrated with city leadership. The outcome will shape how Los Angeles addresses its most pressing challenges: homelessness, housing affordability and emergency preparedness.