Viewers of a televised Los Angeles mayoral debate are giving an unexpected edge to reality television personality Spencer Pratt after his combative performance against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
According to an online poll published by NBC Los Angeles, 89% of respondents said Pratt won Wednesday night’s debate. The informal survey, which remained active Thursday morning, showed overwhelming support for the former Hills star despite his lack of political experience.
The debate marked another major moment in Pratt’s unconventional campaign, which has rapidly gained traction online in recent weeks. Pratt, whose Pacific Palisades home was destroyed during the January 2025 wildfires, used the forum to channel public frustration over the city’s handling of the disaster, homelessness, crime, and quality-of-life concerns.
Many viewers who initially dismissed Pratt as a novelty candidate admitted afterward that they were surprised by his performance.
“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,” one viewer wrote in comments submitted to NBC Los Angeles. “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 viewer argued that Pratt’s performance reflected poorly on the career politicians sharing the stage with him.
“Spencer Pratt, with the little experience he has, surprisingly outperformed Bass and Raman,” 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.”
Others praised Pratt for appearing more connected to voters frustrated with city leadership.
A third respondent wrote that Pratt “showed his grasp of the issues,” while accusing Bass and Raman of having “their hearts in the very wrong place.”
🚨𝕏 Spencer Pratt COOKED Ramen and Bass in LA Mayoral Debate 2026 (TOP HIGHLIGHTS)
#SpencerPratt #LAMayor #LAMayoralDebate pic.twitter.com/95cJncxMZr— Professor Nez (@professornez) May 7, 2026
The NBC Los Angeles poll also found that 23% of respondents said the debate changed their mind about which candidate they planned to support, suggesting the event may have had a measurable impact on at least some voters.
Pratt’s campaign has leaned heavily into his personal experience as a wildfire victim. Since losing his home in the Palisades fire earlier this year, Pratt has repeatedly criticized city and state leadership over emergency response efforts and rebuilding delays. He currently lives in a trailer on the property where his home once stood, a fact he highlighted in a recent campaign ad that gained significant traction online.
Earlier this week, Pratt released an emotional video featuring his mother breaking down while visiting the burned remains of the family property. The ad was widely shared on social media and further elevated his campaign profile.
The video followed criticism from Mayor Bass, who accused Pratt of “exploiting the grief” of wildfire victims for political purposes.
Bass has faced intense scrutiny over her administration’s response to the January fires, which killed multiple people and caused billions of dollars in damage across Southern California. Critics have accused the city of being unprepared and slow to respond as neighborhoods burned.
Raman, a progressive councilmember backed by many left-leaning activists, also came under fire from debate viewers who felt her answers failed to address concerns about public safety and city management.
While Pratt remains a political outsider with no governing experience, his growing popularity online has surprised many observers and turned what initially appeared to be a longshot campaign into a serious media story.
Whether that momentum translates into votes remains to be seen, but the debate appeared to solidify Pratt as more than just a celebrity candidate in the eyes of many viewers.
