Reality TV star Spencer Pratt has vowed to leave behind the 'naked zombies' of Los Angeles and pursue the American Dream somewhere else should he lose the mayoral race to Karen Bass. The 42-year-old has gained traction among disaffected Angelenos with a rogue campaign for mayor to beat out Councilwoman Nithya Raman and oust Bass.
Speaking on the Adam Carolla Show, Pratt revealed that if he loses, he is fleeing the city. 'If Karen Bass gets re-elected or Nithya [Raman] gets elected, I will be done with trying to live in LA,' The Hills star said. 'I'll go find somewhere my kids will not have to see naked zombies and I can have the last American Dream somewhere. I will not rebuild if these people are in charge.'
Pratt was referring to rebuilding his $3.8 million home, which he lost in the Palisades fire that ripped through the California city in January of last year. His remarks about 'naked zombies' come as the city continues to battle problems concerning drugs and homelessness. On a walk through the city's Harbor freeway corridor, the Daily Mail witnessed one woman wandering aimlessly through the streets while completely unclothed.
Pratt launched his campaign after becoming a vocal critic of Bass's tenure as mayor and her lack of action against the problems, while also attacking her after losing his home. The star accused Bass of mismanaging the response to the fires, which went on to burn down over 11,000 other structures and cause billions in damage. He has also made fixing Los Angeles' issues with homelessness and drug use central to his candidacy.
The aspiring politician previously said he would much rather face only Raman in the election without Bass. 'All the unions support Mayor Bass,' he said. 'You think it's easier to run against the incumbent mayor with all the unions, or a random city council member who has been a failure for six years?' Although he registered as a Republican for the election, Pratt said his campaign is not centered on party affiliation.
Polls show Pratt making gains before voters head to the polls on June 2, with the election heading to a runoff on November 3 if no candidate wins over 50 percent. Pratt registered at 14 percent support in a UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies Poll last month, coming behind Bass at 25 percent and Raman at 17 percent. His chance of winning surged after a headline-grabbing debate performance against his rivals last week.
Pratt has overtaken Raman after eviscerating her on the debate stage, the latest odds reveal. The market gives Pratt a 28 percent chance of capturing the mayor's office compared to Raman's 20 percent, with Bass in the lead on 48 percent. Voters are just weeks away from casting their ballots, and Pratt appears to have timed his campaign blitz just in time, with his odds more than doubling in the past month.
At a debate on Wednesday night, Pratt was declared the winner over Bass and Raman by 79 percent of viewers polled by NBC, as his brash style won praise from many. Pratt especially dominated Raman, reducing her to a 'random city council member' in a jibe at Raman that went viral on social media. The remark came as Raman accused the ex-The Hills star of teaming up with Bass to drive her out of the race, claiming they want to run only against each other 'because they think that is what will help them win.' After the comment drew laughs from the audience, Pratt mocked the notion as he said: 'Mayor Bass and I are definitely not working together. I blame this person for burning my house down.'
