Reality star Spencer Pratt overtaken in race to be mayor of Los Angeles

FORMER REALITY TV star Spencer Pratt has fallen to third place in the race to get on the ballot to run for mayor of Los Angeles. 

Under the Californian primary system, only the two candidates with the most votes advance to the mayoral election in November, meaning that as things stand, Pratt would just miss out. 

He had been in second place for much of the counting so far, but has been overtaken by Democratic candidate Nithya Raman

The incumbent mayor, Karen Bass, is already through to the November run-off election where she will face either Raman or Pratt. 

Bass, 72, a former Democratic congresswoman who is fighting for her second term in office, is currently in the lead with 34.7% of the vote.

Democratic Socialist Raman, 44, is coming in second with 27.1% of the vote, after overtaking former The Hills star Pratt, who currently has 26.7% of the vote.

Pratt and his wife Heidi Montag lost their home in the California wildfires last year and this January filed a lawsuit suing the state for actions they argue led to the damage. More than 20 other homes in the Pacific Palisades neighbourhood were affected by the alleged failings.

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The reality star used AI-generated videos and negative campaigning to grab attention and set himself apart from incumbent Bass, who has held the position since 2022.

The couple said, after the fire, they’ve been living in a caravan on their property. TMZ subsequently reported that they were instead staying at the Hotel Bel-Air.

A candidate can win the Los Angeles mayor primary by receiving a majority of the votes, but if they don’t, then the two candidates with the most votes advance to a November.

Raman and Bass are currently the candidates most likely to make it to the run-off, but counting is ongoing. 

Voting can be slow in Los Angeles as ballots in California are posted out to all registered voters and are valid if they are postmarked by election day, meaning some do not even arrive at the counting centre until several days after polls close.

Bass, an ex-US congresswoman and Democratic Party stalwart, had an unremarkable start to her stint at the helm of the city, and seemed headed for easy re-election.

But her flat-footed handling of the huge fires that tore through the area in January 2025 left her in trouble.

Her response to federal immigration raids in the proudly diverse city somewhat righted the ship, but she remains vulnerable.

With additional reporting from AFP.

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