L.A. Mayor Race Turns Ugly Over Spencer Pratt Attack Ad

A new campaign ad targeting Spencer Pratt in the Los Angeles mayoral race is drawing criticism from rivals and political analysts who say it may actually help the Republican candidate rather than hurt him.

The 30-second spot, funded by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor — a group backing Mayor Karen Bass — criticizes Pratt for supporting more police officers, limiting public employee unions and cutting spending on new homeless housing. Analysts say those positions could appeal to conservative voters in Los Angeles.

Fernando Guerra, a political science professor at Loyola Marymount University, said the strategy appears aimed at helping Pratt defeat City Councilmember Nithya Raman for a spot in the Nov. 3 runoff against Bass. Republicans make up only about 18% of registered voters in Los Angeles, but Guerra said boosting Pratt among GOP voters could give him the edge in a crowded primary where candidates are polling below 30%.

Raman called the ad “cynical” and accused Bass of indirectly helping Pratt. During recent debates, Raman questioned why Bass seemed to favor Pratt over her, calling him a “MAGA Republican” who supports working with ICE and attacking immigrants.

Bass denied preferring Pratt as an opponent, saying, “I don’t want any competitors.”

Pratt rejected claims he was coordinating with Bass and instead accused Bass and Raman of working together against him.

Bass campaign spokesman Alex Stack dismissed both accusations as “conspiracy theories” and argued Raman’s campaign has failed to meet expectations.

Political observers compared the strategy to past California races where Democrats were accused of boosting weaker Republican opponents in primaries to secure easier general-election matchups.

You can listen to WIBC’s Casey Daniels and Ethan Hatcher react to the attack ad: