Spencer Pratt jumps 12 points, in 2nd place in L.A. mayor's race, new poll finds

Spencer Pratt, candidate for L.A. mayor.

Former reality TV star-turned political candidate Spencer Pratt has vaulted into second place in the Los Angeles race for mayor, picking up a 12-point bump, a new poll shows.  

Pratt still trails incumbent mayor Karen Bass by eight points, the new poll from Emerson College, which was conducted May 7-9 and surveyed 1,000 voters, found. Bass leads the field with 30%, followed by Pratt at 22% and Nithya Raman in third with 19%.

All three frontrunners enjoyed double-digit increases since the last time the poll was taken in March, but Pratt picked up the largest bump at 12 points above the 10% support he received in the March poll. Much of Pratt's support is coming from previously undecided voters. The poll shows 16% of those surveyed remain undecided with the June 2 primary now just weeks away. 

Pratt has been ascendant in recent weeks as A.I.-generated campaign videos, made by a supporter named Charles Curran, are resonating deeply with L.A. voters as well as Americans across the country. Dave Rubin has said the videos are some of the best use of A.I. to create effective political messaging he's seen in recent memory. 

Meanwhile, Bass was on CNN Tuesday evening taking shots at Pratt. The mayor laughed when asked by a reporter what she thought Pratt would be like as mayor of L.A.

"I can’t even imagine. I understand he has a degree in political science, but he does not have a background or knowledge in how our government works," Bass said. When pressed, she insisted, however, that she wasn't underestimating Pratt as a candidate. 

Hours later, Pratt fired back at Bass in a post on X. "We don’t have to imagine Bass as mayor," Pratt said. "We are living that disaster. That’s why I’m taking her job."

Read the full results of the poll here.