Social media videos take center stage in L.A. mayoral campaign

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Spencer Pratt speaks into his smartphone camera, blaming Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for the environmental catastrophe of the Palisades fire, which burned his house, and the homeless crisis that triggered “a sudden outbreak of a medieval disease,” which we learn is typhus.Then there’s City Councilmember Nithya Raman, holding a tiny microphone, walking and talking in an influencer style as she explains to viewers how she’ll bring back Hollywood, make sure the streetlights work and oppose rich contracts for the city’s police union.Incumbent Mayor Karen Bass is running a more traditional campaign, but even she is pushing her ads out on streaming platforms and social media, and posting videos on Instagram.“This is the new era of campaigning,” said Sara Sadhwani, a politics professor at Pomona College.

“Social media has changed the game.People have always looked for candidates they could have a beer with but now it’s about the ways in which they’re able to connect with voters online.”TV ads used to dominate in Los Angeles mayoral election campaigns.

This year, candidates are increasingly pivoting to social media to post snappy, off-the-cuff videos that could fuel momentum for their campaigns if they go viral.Pratt, in particular, has built a national following with the help of ads gone viral on social media, including ones produced by his own camp as well as outside supporters.In one of his spots, Pratt appears outside Raman’s home in Silver Lake and the mayor’s city-owned mansion in Hancock Park, and then in front of the Pacific Palisades lot where his home burned in the 2025 fire.

The pitch is that Pratt knows the consequences of failed leadership.The 30-second clip has racked up more than 13 million views since it was released in April.Political consultant Mike Trujillo said Pratt’s role on “The Hills” and other reality TV shows has given him an ...