Former Reality TV Star’s Position in LA Mayoral Race

Spencer Pratt, known for his reality TV background, is gaining ground against City Councilwoman Nitya Raman as they prepare for the bipartisan mayoral primary. Meanwhile, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass appears to be struggling with dissatisfaction among voters.

A recent poll from Abundance Network, alongside Tavern Research, gathered responses from 531 likely voters between May 1 and May 4, yielding a margin of error of around 6.1 percentage points. The survey indicates that while Pratt and Raman are vying for a chance to challenge Bass, the current mayor seems to be at a standstill in terms of support.

The findings suggest that “Nitya Raman and Spencer Pratt’s approval ratings have been improving since early March polls; however, Mayor Karen Bass has been stuck with approval figures between 20 and 25 percent among important voter groups.” Bass, identified as the least popular Democrat in this survey, is trailing Pratt by 4 points and Raman by 6, putting her in a precarious position for an incumbent who is generally well-known.

Additionally, the poll highlights that Raman is consistently ranked third in the race, though her numbers have her slightly ahead of Pratt by half a point in some averages, while a recent poll shows her falling behind by 2 points.

Interestingly, this poll was taken prior to last week’s debate featuring Pratt, Bass, and Raman. Analysts noted that Pratt exceeded expectations during the debate, particularly when both Bass and Raman seemed to be underperforming.

According to commentary, “With no prior administrative experience and a background mainly in reality TV, Pratt needed to demonstrate more than just producing AI-generated clips or trading barbs with competitors”—a point emphasized by a report from a media outlet.

During the debate, Pratt appeared to garner attention by presenting himself as “the adult in the room.” An informal online poll by NBC4-LA indicated that an overwhelming 89% of respondents believed Pratt won the debate.

Current polling suggests that Raman could potentially defeat Bass in a direct matchup, but Pratt still has a way to go if he wants to surpass either candidate.

The Abundance Network pointed out that although both Raman and Bass have secured victories over Pratt in direct comparisons, the perception of Bass among voters—largely due to her recognized Democratic affiliation—plays a significant role in her performance against him.

Despite gaining attention from national media and social platforms, the polling data does not indicate Pratt leading in any direct competition at this point.