Spencer Pratt surges with $2.72 million donations

Los Angeles mayoral contender Spencer Pratt reported raising about $2.72 million from April 19 to May 16, far outpacing Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman as early voting begins ahead of the June 2 election.

A flood of cash is arriving fast enough to change the feel of Los Angeles’ mayoral race.

In the latest campaign finance reporting period. Spencer Pratt reported raising about $2.72 million between April 19 and May 16—more than any other candidate. Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass reported raising about $283. 000 during the same window. according to documents filed with the Los Angeles Ethics Commission. City Councilmember Nithya Raman reported raising about $400,000 in that period, including a $60,000 loan from Raman to her campaign.

Those numbers have tightened the race’s financial picture. Pratt has reported a total of $3.26 million in contributions through May 16, narrowly surpassing Bass, who reported $3.13 million. Raman reported a total of more than $931,000 in contributions.

Pratt’s surge comes as he has rewritten his own campaign narrative in stark. personal terms: a reality television star who entered the race after losing his home in the deadly Palisades Fire. His campaign has leaned heavily on viral videos. and he has attacked Bass over her handling of the fire and over other issues including public safety and homelessness.

Early voting is underway ahead of the June 2 election, with Los Angeles’ mayoral race running as nonpartisan even as Pratt—who is a registered Republican—has been backed by President Donald Trump.

The fundraising race appears to be catching up to the political one. Recent numbers further indicate Pratt has a chance of winning enough votes to move to a November runoff, though he faces long odds in a heavily Democratic city that has not elected a Republican mayor since 1997.

Bass, for her part, remains the prohibitive favorite in polls and prediction markets, even as she appears pressured by turnout and undecided voters who are shifting from the sidelines.

One Emerson College Polling/Inside California Politics survey found Bass at 30 percent support, up from 20 percent in March. The same poll showed Pratt at 22 percent. up from 10 percent in March. while Raman came in third with 19 percent of support. The share of undecided respondents fell sharply—from 51 percent in March to 16 percent in May. The Emerson poll was conducted between May 9 and May 10. a week after Bass. Pratt and Raman faced off in a mayoral debate. among 1. 000 likely primary voters. with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percent.

Another poll from Tavern Research put Bass leading at 22 percent support, followed by Pratt at 18 percent and Raman at 16 percent. Tavern Research found 46 percent were undecided on the initial ballot, but after a follow-up that number dropped to 29 percent. The poll surveyed 531 likely Los Angeles primary voters online between May 1 and May 4. with a margin of error of plus or minus 6.1 percent.

Prediction markets told a similar story, with Bass generally priced higher while Pratt and Raman competed for second. Prediction markets are trading platforms where prices—expressed as percentage chances—reflect estimates of an outcome’s likelihood. They can move faster than polls, but they are also vulnerable to bias, low liquidity, and speculative swings.

As of early Monday, Bass was trading at 71 percent, up from about 56 percent a week ago. Pratt was trading at 22 percent. down from 24 percent a week ago. while Raman was at about 10 percent. down from 16 percent a week ago. Kalshi, a U.S.-regulated exchange, showed similar numbers: Bass at 67 percent, Pratt at 27 percent, and Raman at about 7 percent.

The next step is straightforward but high-stakes. The primary election is scheduled for June 2. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two vote-getters will face off in a November 3 election.

Spencer Pratt Karen Bass Nithya Raman Los Angeles mayoral election campaign finance Los Angeles Ethics Commission Palisades Fire early voting June 2 election November runoff Emerson College Polling