Can Spencer Pratt Break Through LA's Political Machine?

Plus: the California governor’s race, and Michael Tracey on the Epstein Files.

This week, there’s quite a bit of news out of California.

For one, the race for mayor of Los Angeles is becoming increasingly contentious and high-profile. In addition, we saw a volatile gubernatorial debate, in which the Republican and Democratic candidates sparred among themselves on the various issues plaguing the state. And, of course, two Californians—Gavin Newsom and Kamala Harris—are at the top of bookmakers’ lists for becoming the Democratic nominee for president in 2028.

So, California really is at the center of things politically right now—both in terms of driving online discourse and as a window into what the Democrat political landscape might look like going into the next presidential election.

First, what’s going on in Los Angeles? The mayor’s race has come down to three candidates: Karen Bass, the incumbent ex-communist mayor; Nithya Rahman, a far-Left city councilwoman; and Spencer Pratt, a former reality television star and insurgent candidate who has campaigned on a tough-on-crime approach to the city’s problems with homelessness, drug abuse, and social disorder.

With Spencer Pratt, the obvious analogy is to Donald Trump. The question that both faced was similar: Is it really possible to turn a reality television career into a media-savvy campaign and a successful outsider political movement? Can you actually bridge that gap and become president of the United States, or, in this case, mayor of Los Angeles?