Tuesday is primary day in Los Angeles, and Spencer Pratt has a real shot at advancing to a runoff against Mayor Karen Bass. It may actually help that he got a surprise endorsement from far-left comedian Bill Maher.
I'll be honest: I didn't have this one on my bingo card, but maybe I should have.
Maher hosted Pratt on Monday's edition of his Club Random podcast, and the conversation went far better for Pratt than the Democrat establishment (or Bass’s campaign) probably expected. Maher praised his anti-corruption message, his pledge to confront local unions, and his impatience with how California's progressive machine has run the city into the ground.
"You had me at hello," Maher told Pratt, signaling early enthusiasm for his campaign. The praise didn't stop there. "I mean on so many of these things, and you just have the exact right — I didn't know until I talked to you, honestly, today, but you have the exact right impatience with this s**t," Maher said.
A leftist telling a reform outsider he has the right instincts is a big deal.
Maher also called Pratt's tone "very authentic," saying it reflects the real frustrations of LA residents. "You know, you're just— it's good," he added. He also acknowledged how far Pratt had come. "I mean, you are on people's minds out here. Nobody can take that away from you," Maher said, adding, "I don't think we saw that coming a year ago."
What really works for Pratt is that he’s got the right message that transcends partisan loyalties.
"I know I'm supposed to hate him. I don't," Maher said on Real Time, calling him "a nice guy" and "charming." His advice to the surging candidate? "Just keep doing what you're doing — we'll see where the chips fall."
ICYMI: Talarico Revealed His Girlfriend and Accidentally Exposed a Couple of Scandals, Too
A recent Emerson College survey shows Pratt in second place, up two points since March, running ahead of progressive councilmember Nithya Raman. The top two finishers today advance to the November general.
Pratt's support goes beyond Maher. Joe Rogan and Paris Hilton have endorsed him. Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx reportedly have, too. Google co-founder Sergey Brin maxed out his contribution at $1,800. Brin is among several billionaires increasingly engaged in California races.
Clearly, left-wing voters are tired of incompetence from their party.
As we’ve mentioned here at PJ Media before, this campaign is personal for Pratt. He and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their $2.5 million Pacific Palisades home in the January 2025 wildfires. He has blamed Bass directly, arguing her decisions left the city underprepared and under-resourced when the fires broke out. Not only was Bass in Ghana while those fires raged, but she had also cut fire department resources beforehand and tried to downplay coverage that exposed just how badly the city had failed to prepare.
"People do tend to get drunk with power when they have all of it… and that's what has happened with the state of California," Maher said.
Bass has been the mayor since 2022. If today's numbers track with the polls, she's in serious trouble. The Democrat Party's grip on liberal strongholds nationwide has delivered homelessness, rising crime, and drugs. If someone like Pratt can be competitive and potentially win in Los Angeles, that’s a huge warning sign for big city Democrat mayors and blue-state governors who have failed their constituents repeatedly but have previously not been held accountable for it. Pratt is showing liberal voters they don’t have to support party leaders who are corrupt and incompetent, and if he survives on Tuesday to run in the general election in November, the impact of that alone will be huge.
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy PJ Media's conservative reporting that takes on the radical Left and woke media? Support our work so that we can continue to bring you the truth.
Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member