Spencer Pratt frames L.A. mayoral campaign around safety
Spencer pratt, a Los Angeles GOP mayoral candidate and reality TV personality, essentially cast himself as an outsider running because, he claims, no one else would seriously challenge incumbent Mayor Karen Bass-who he says is headed toward “four more years” without serious opposition.In a Thursday CNBC interview, Pratt argued that the city’s problems-especially taxes, crime, public safety, homelessness, and broader economic decline-require “local, common-sense” solutions.
He has increasingly used social media to criticize Bass, including posts alleging mismanagement of homelessness and quality-of-life issues (such as the “Karen Basura’s park” accusation). Pratt also said his hypothetical management would pursue tougher intervention approaches for people struggling with severe addiction or mental illness, including efforts tied to California laws that can require treatment in certain cases.
In the interview, Pratt linked public safety to Los Angeles’s economic woes, particularly the entertainment industry, saying rising costs, crime concerns, and permitting obstacles are pushing film and television production away from the city. He also called for more funding for the fire department, arguing it is under-resourced compared with past levels.
Pratt used his remarks to frame a safety-oriented message aimed at various groups-promising to protect people he described as feeling unsafe (including Jewish and Muslim residents) and arguing for broad personal freedoms for adults in matters like gender identity, as long as no one is harmed. He also referenced complaints involving Bass. The LA mayoral primary is set for June 2.
Los Angeles GOP mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt talked about taxes, crime, safety and the city’s economic struggles during a Thursday interview on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, casting himself as an outsider focused on what he described as “local, common-sense issues.”
“I only got into the race because nobody else was going to run,” Pratt said, arguing that incumbent Mayor Karen Bass was positioned to “get four more years” without a serious challenger.
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“[Bass] was just going to get four more years, so I had to step up,” Pratt said.
Pratt, a reality television personality best known for The Hills, has increasingly used social media to criticize Bass’s handling of homelessness, drug addiction, and quality-of-life issues across Los Angeles.
Pratt posted a video on Instagram on May 13, calling out what he named “Karen Basura’s park.” The word “Basura,” a derogatory nickname Pratt uses for Bass, means trash in Spanish.
The video showed a playground littered with trash, where Pratt claimed drug addicts came, and what looked to be a nearby homeless encampment.
“All of our tax money is going to the drug addicts,” he alleged.
Los Angeles continues to grapple with homelessness and housing affordability. According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, more than 45,000 people were experiencing homelessness in the city in 2024
, though officials reported modest declines in unsheltered homelessness in some areas following expanded housing and outreach efforts.
Pratt said his administration would pursue stricter intervention policies for individuals struggling with severe addiction or mental illness, referencing California laws that allow courts to mandate treatment in certain cases when individuals are deemed unable to care for themselves.
Throughout the interview, Pratt tied public safety concerns to the city’s broader economic challenges, particularly the entertainment industry. He argued that rising costs, crime concerns, and permitting issues have made Los Angeles less attractive for film and television production, an issue industry leaders and unions have increasingly raised as productions move to states offering larger tax incentives.
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“We’re going to look like Dubai in eight years,” he said.
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Pratt also claimed some film crews operating in parts of Los Angeles have paid gangs for protection while filming, though he did not provide evidence for the assertion.
Pratt also emphasized the need for more funding for the fire department, which he says is operating at levels from the 1960s.
“We need to get our tax money back.”
He continued: “I’m like Robin Hood. I’m actually going to take the money that’s already being taxed by the rich; I’m going to make sure other rich people aren’t stealing it to increase problems.”
“I made it very clear that I’m going to protect my Jewish friends and families that feel unsafe,” Pratt said. He continued, “I want a Muslim student to feel safe going to worship.”
On LGBT safety in Los Angeles, he said, “Whether you want to be trans and however you want to identify, if you’re 18-years-old in America, you should be able to do whatever you want if you don’t hurt other people.”
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“I’m the common-sense American with the basic expectations of our tax money.”
The LA mayoral primary election will be held June 2.
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