Viewers watching the latest Los Angeles mayoral debate appear to have reached a surprisingly decisive conclusion: Spencer Pratt dominated the stage.
According to an online NBC Los Angeles poll released after Wednesday night’s debate, an overwhelming 89% of respondents said the former reality television star emerged as the winner over incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and socialist City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
What many expected to be a novelty candidacy instead turned into one of the most talked-about political performances of the race so far.
Pratt, whose Pacific Palisades home was destroyed during the devastating January 2025 wildfires, used the debate to channel months of public frustration over crime, homelessness, city dysfunction, and the fallout from the fires. Viewers responding to the poll repeatedly described Pratt as unexpectedly prepared, emotionally grounded, and more connected to residents’ frustrations than the veteran politicians standing beside him.
One viewer admitted entering the debate skeptical of Pratt but leaving with a completely different impression.
“Pratt was surprisingly good and I thought he would be an unserious bro, but his grief that everyone is making fun of is actually real,” the viewer wrote. “It was clear that Bass and Raman are the unserious ones about improving the quality of life for citizens of LA. Pratt won my vote.”
Another respondent argued Pratt’s performance exposed weaknesses in the city’s current leadership.
“Spencer Pratt, with the little experience he has, surprisingly outperformed Bass and Raman, which really says a lot about their inability to lead,” the commenter wrote. “He is new to politics, they have been years and years in politics and in charge. Yet, the policies they propose they haven’t done.”
A third viewer said Pratt “showed his grasp of the issues,” while claiming Bass and Raman “have their hearts in the very wrong place.”
The debate may have done more than simply generate headlines. NBC Los Angeles reported that 23% of poll respondents said the event actually changed their minds about who they planned to support in the race.
That shift comes as Pratt has steadily built political momentum through a string of emotionally charged campaign ads and social media videos that have spread widely online.
One of the most powerful moments arrived Tuesday, when Pratt released footage showing his mother breaking down in tears while visiting the burned remains of his former home in Pacific Palisades.
The video landed just days after Bass criticized Pratt for allegedly “exploiting the grief” of wildfire victims during his campaign.
But the criticism appears to have backfired with many voters who see Pratt’s anger and grief as authentic reflections of broader public frustration over the city’s handling of the fires and recovery efforts.
