Spencer Pratt has effectively conceded the Los Angeles mayor’s race after failing to advance to the November runoff, but the former reality television star says his political fight against the city’s leadership is far from over.
In a video posted to social media, Pratt said the “campaign portion” of his effort to “save Los Angeles” was coming to an end. He did not formally contest the election results, even though President Donald Trump, who endorsed him, had repeatedly claimed without evidence that the race was “rigged.”
The result means Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass will face progressive City Councilmember Nithya Raman in the November general election. Raman narrowly moved past Pratt after later ballots were counted, turning what had once looked like a potential celebrity-versus-incumbent contest into a showdown between two Democratic city leaders.
Pratt, best known for his role on MTV’s The Hills, entered the race in January after losing his Pacific Palisades home in the devastating wildfire that reshaped Los Angeles politics. He campaigned on anger over the city’s wildfire response, homelessness, public safety, corruption and what he described as a failing political system.
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Despite his loss, Pratt used his concession video to promise a new phase of political activism. He claimed he had information that could damage one of the two candidates moving forward and suggested he would continue attacking the city’s political establishment outside the limits of campaign rules.
“I’m moving on to the next, more interesting phase,” Pratt said in the video. He added that he was no longer “hamstringed” by campaign laws and described the next stage as “war.”
The language was combative and raised the temperature in an already tense mayoral race. Pratt said he had not entered the campaign for political power, but to expose what he called a corrupt machine. He also suggested that Bass and Raman should not assume his defeat would remove him from the political conversation.
The video came after months of controversy around Pratt’s campaign. As a Republican running in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, he faced long odds from the beginning. The city has not elected a Republican mayor in more than two decades, and Pratt’s lack of governing experience was a constant issue.
Still, Pratt’s name recognition, online following and wildfire-driven message helped him become a serious presence in the primary. He leaned into an anti-establishment style, casting himself as a furious resident who had lost faith in traditional city leadership after the Palisades fire.
Trump’s endorsement gave Pratt national attention, but it also tied him more closely to Republican politics in a city where Trump remains deeply unpopular. Trump later claimed California’s election system was “crooked,” but Pratt himself did not challenge the outcome in his concession video.
Raman’s late surge changed the shape of the race. A progressive councilmember known for work on housing, homelessness and tenant issues, Raman will now try to present herself as a fresh alternative to Bass. She entered the race late but built enough support among renters, young voters and progressive activists to overtake Pratt.
Bass, meanwhile, enters the general election as the incumbent, but not without vulnerabilities. Her leadership has faced criticism over homelessness, public safety, wildfire preparedness and the city’s emergency response. Raman is expected to challenge Bass from the left on housing and policing, while Bass will likely argue that Los Angeles needs experience and stability.
Pratt’s departure from the ballot does not mean his voters will disappear. His campaign captured anger among residents who feel the city is failing on fire recovery, crime, cost of living and government accountability. Both Bass and Raman may now have to address those voters, even if many of them are unlikely to support a progressive candidate.
The general election is expected to focus on homelessness, public safety, housing costs, emergency preparedness and trust in city government. Pratt’s campaign may have ended, but the issues that fueled his rise remain central to the race.
His threats to release damaging material about one of the remaining candidates could also keep him in the news. Neither Bass nor Raman has been publicly shown to have done anything requiring resignation based on Pratt’s claims, and he did not provide evidence in the video. For now, the claim should be treated as an allegation.
The episode shows how local politics in Los Angeles has become increasingly nationalized. A mayoral race once centered on city services and neighborhood issues became tied to Trump, celebrity politics, election-rigging claims and social media confrontation.
For Pratt, the campaign appears to have shifted from an attempt to win office into an ongoing pressure campaign against City Hall. For Bass and Raman, the challenge now is to move into the runoff while avoiding being pulled into Pratt’s post-election conflict.
Los Angeles voters will decide in November whether to give Bass another term or turn to Raman’s progressive alternative. But Pratt’s concession video made clear that he intends to remain part of the city’s political drama, even from outside the race.
Why It Matters
This matters because the Los Angeles mayoral race is now officially a Bass-versus-Raman runoff, removing the celebrity Republican candidate who had drawn national attention and Trump’s endorsement.
It also matters because Pratt’s campaign showed how anger over wildfires, homelessness, public safety and city leadership can reshape local politics, even in a heavily Democratic city.
What Comes Next
Bass and Raman will move into the November general election, where they are expected to clash over homelessness, policing, housing, wildfire recovery and city management.
Pratt is likely to remain active online and may continue attacking both candidates. Whether his supporters become a meaningful factor in the runoff will depend on whether either campaign can speak to the frustration that powered his primary run.
Spencer Pratt posted a video saying the campaign phase of his effort was ending, while claiming he had recordings that could damage one of the candidates advancing to the general election.
🚨 WOW! Spencer Pratt just dropped this after they stole the LA mayoral election from him — he’s about to drop BOMBSHELLS he was saving for the general election!
“We have some recordings of one of your insulting candidates doing and saying something that would make her resign in…
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) June 12, 2026
