Insiders are concerned that the battle for the Los Angeles mayor featuring incumbent mayor Karen Bass, The Hills star Spencer Pratt, and progressive voice Nithya Raman has devolved into a complete mess.
Polls point to Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt emerging as the top two, with Councilwoman Nithya Raman hoping to break through.
A top donor calls the LA Mayor race “a continued mess” as Karen Bass and Spencer Pratt lead
The candidates have lined up support from constituencies heading into the June 2 elections. Though Bass has managed to shore up union support, she is likely to remain the cynosure over issues ranging from homelessness to last year’s fire response.
Raman’s support base comes from the creative and artist community, but she has slipped in polls due to an okayish showing at the primary’s marquee debate.
Reality star Pratt is relying on his anti-establishment and outsider stance and has secured support from key Democrats. However, his position remains unsure as his soft pro-Trump position may be at odds with the likely referendum on the president.
A top industry donor has openly lamented that the mayoral election is “a continued mess”. The race is proving to be far from a seamless experience for the incumbent mayor, who is now facing an increasingly uncertain situation, with new challenges emerging as the election draws near.
Mainstream Democratic donors who initially expected Bass to sail over easily with a drama-free re-election are now not so sure. The fracturing of the progressive vote by Raman, combined with Pratt’s unexpected fundraising haul (raising over $3.2 million, outearning Bass’s $3.1 million in individual campaign contributions), has completely disrupted the traditional algorithm of control.
The race has steadily grown volatile after a highly publicized League of Women Voters debate scheduled for May 13 was abruptly cancelled. Bass pulled out of the debate to avoid an ambush, and Pratt also declined, citing scheduling conflicts.
Originally reported by Sreemanti Sengupta on Mandatory.
