Nithya Raman, a socialist candidate for Los Angeles mayor, has characterized Spencer Pratt, a rising California political star and fellow candidate in the race, as someone who “represents fascism.” Raman, a current city councilor, made the remarks during a recent interview with progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen, as Pratt gains ground in the race.

She compared Pratt, a registered Republican running as an Independent, to President Donald Trump in a derogatory manner, claiming that Pratt’s strong stance on tackling the city’s homelessness and crime epidemic will lead to fascism.

“I think that Spencer Pratt is tapping into a lot of the frustrations that people have in Los Angeles by the way that things are going, and his Trumpian qualities is exactly why I think Angelenos should be taking this race seriously, but should also be grappling with the critiques,” said Raman, who acknowledged that the city has been “moving in the wrong direction.” 

“I also think it’s a very real thing that we should take seriously, and we need to grapple with, and we need to offer it an honest response, a response that’s rooted in actually solving these problems. Otherwise, people will turn to fascism, to mini Trump, which is who I think Spencer Pratt really represents,” she said.
 

While incumbent Democrat mayor Karen Bass has maintained a slight, steady lead in the polls, Pratt has seen a recent surge as voters seek change in city leadership following years of failed Democratic policies that have contributed to high crime and an unresolved homelessness crisis.

The New York Post reported that Pratt has gained ground with undecided voters ahead of the primary election on June 2.

Pratt, an ex-reality television star most famous for MTV’s The Hills, entered the race last year as a fed-up Los Angeles resident after his home burned down in the deadly January 2025 Pacific Palisades Fire. He has used his personal grievances over Bass and Raman’s slow recovery and reconstruction efforts, which have seemingly resonated with voters. 

During a recent interview, Pratt explained that he is running a grassroots campaign without the political backing of any party establishment. Raman described Pratt as a “MAGA Republican” during last month’s mayoral debate, but Pratt rejected that label and said he represents the whole of Los Angeles.

“I don’t have a campaign manager. I don’t have campaign consultants. There’s no political party backing me,” Pratt said, according to IBT. “All of my supporters in Los Angeles are Democrats. Everyone I know, my family, are all Democrats.”

Pratt said that despite the fact that he is a registered Republican, his stance on the race is independent of party labels. He maintained that the city’s difficulties, such as homelessness, public safety, and basic infrastructure, are not partisan in nature and called for practical solutions rather than ideological answers.

Numerous of Pratt’s recent campaign videos calling out Democrat Mayor Bass and other city lawmakers have gone viral across social media.

The last time Los Angeles had a Republican mayor was in 2001.