Disappointed, discouraged and crying foul: Spencer Pratt voters grapple with mayoral runoff they never wanted

Former mayoral candidate and reality TV personality Spencer Pratt did not advance to the November runoff election, but still drew a notable share of the vote in the June municipal election. Some of his supporters expressed “disappointment”, with a smaller subset alleging a “corrupt” election, despite no evidence being cited to support those claims.“I am feeling disappointed because I feel the election was illegitimate,” Ron Goldschmidt, a 50-year-old Palisades resident who lost his home in the fires, told The California Post.“I think that he should stay the course in fighting for a just cause.”Now, this electorate — a whopping 217,718 people, or 25.5% of the total votes cast for LA mayor — is left choosing between two candidates they described as “not really a choice.”Incumbent Karen Bass and DSA-backed Nithya Raman are competing to lead the nation’s second-largest city — a nearly $15 billion budget, the LA28 Olympic Game preparations, while also navigating rising immigration tensions and a strained relationship with the federal government.The Post spoke with roughly two dozen Pratt voters about their candidate’s loss and how they intended to vote in the run-off. Conversations with registered Republicans, Democrats, and independents from across the city revealed a segment of the electorate marred by deep distrust in the city’s election institutions, pointed criticism of Bass’s mayoral tenure, and skepticism toward Raman, whom some described as having “communist” tendencies.

California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.Please provide a valid email.

By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Of those conversations, a majority revealed that people are simply not planning to vote in the mayoral race this year, while some said they may cast protest or symbolic votes by writing in Pratt’s name,...