Spencer Pratt has made waves in his bid for mayor of Los Angeles. Last week, Pratt was finally able to confront his opponents directly, taking the debate stage alongside incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman.
An informal online poll from NBC Los Angeles showed nearly 9 in 10 respondents believed Pratt had won the debate, a shockingly high number considering he is the sole Republican candidate in an overwhelmingly blue area. The local NBC station moderated the debate and tried to scold him for “name-calling,” such as when he correctly called Bass a “liar” for touting false information about the infamous Palisades fires last year.
Despite the station’s attempts to restrain him, Pratt shone onstage. Los Angeles locals said, “Pratt was surprisingly good[.] … It was clear that Bass and Raman are the unserious ones about improving the quality of life for citizens of LA,” and, “Pratt, with the little experience he has, surprisingly outperformed Bass and Raman, which really says a lot about their inability to lead.”
Pratt appeared dependable, while Bass and Raman were forced to own their failed policies. Debate topics covered everything from the city’s homelessness and drug addiction problems to the mishandling of the Palisades fires. In the week before the debate, Pratt released a campaign ad showing how the fire had destroyed his home, leaving him and his family to reside in an Airstream on the scorched land where their home once stood. In the ad, Pratt showed that both Bass and Raman were currently residing in enormous, multimillion-dollar mansions that were untouched by the fires and sheltered from the city’s homelessness encampments and crime problems.
Pratt’s campaign is focused on bringing back “the Golden Age of Los Angeles.” During the debate, when the moderators asked whether noncitizens should be allowed to vote in elections, Pratt unequivocally said, “No.” Bass and Raman were unable to say the same, trying to explain why noncitizens should be allowed to vote. In the face of his liberal opponents’ confusion, Pratt was a source of clarity. At one point, he addressed the Palisades fires point-blank, stating, “I blame this person for burning my house and my parents’ house and my town and all my neighbors’ down. I am not working with Mayor Bass.”
Pratt’s campaign represents what voters are looking for from their candidates in 2026. President Donald Trump has won over Americans for more than a decade with his smart, short, and simple catchphrase, “Make America Great Again.” The line resonated with voters because it addressed Americans’ fears about the decline of the nation. In 2024, many voters’ main concerns were kitchen-table issues, with the economy being the leading concern among registered voters. Terrorism, national security, and immigration were also major anxieties. Trump’s message of restoring America and protecting its national identity won him the election.
At the heart of both Trump’s and Pratt’s campaigns lies an appeal for America to return to its former glory. Pratt is running for mayor to “Go Back to the Golden Age of Los Angeles.” Like “MAGA,” these catchy slogans communicate that citizens should have hope for the future.
Pratt has since released additional ads, including an AI-generated parody of Batman’s Gotham City. It depicts Mayor Bass in villainous Joker makeup, in a humorous but pointed attempt to portray prominent Democrats as elitists. The ad shows citizens being dragged in front of Bass, Gavin Newsom, and Kamala Harris, begging for help — only to be laughed at. Pratt appears in the end as a hero, showing up just in time to save the city.
Socialism is on the rise in America because it looks and feels appealing, especially to disenfranchised young voters. A survey last year found that 62 percent of adults under 30 view socialism favorably, and this number has unfortunately been reflected politically. In New York City, proud socialist Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor; in Wisconsin, the leading Democrat candidate for governor, Francesca Hong, is also a socialist. Their messages are resonating with young people who have economic and social fears, including concerns that they won’t be able to afford homes or start families. While socialism is not the solution, socialist leaders have used clear, effective messaging to persuade young voters — albeit with false information.
Conservatives need to be prepared to fight back against the radical left with the clear, simple message that they can and will restore America. Trump has been doing so effectively for nearly a decade, and Pratt is now following in his footsteps. Pratt’s calls to bring Los Angeles back to its golden age could be replicated by conservative candidates across the country. Homelessness has reached record highs, and drug abuse and crime have made cities near-unlivable for regular Americans. The promise to restore urban America to its former glory is a compelling argument for many voters.
American citizens just want their homes back. Conservatives have the opportunity to take back many long-time Democrat cities nationwide if they’re willing to do what Pratt is doing in Los Angeles: Say the quiet part out loud. Pratt is unafraid to call out the radical policies of Democrat elites and show the damage they have done. He is offering a solution. If Republicans want to win cities back from the depths of leftism, they need to replicate what Pratt is doing — and fast.
