I’ll explain why a union-funded “attack” ad targeting Spencer Pratt backfired, show how the spot unintentionally highlights his platform on homelessness and public safety, note the ad’s origin and impact on voters, and place this moment in the broader context of Los Angeles politics and the June 2 election.
The union-backed spot aimed to frame Spencer Pratt as extreme, but it ended up underscoring the very positions many Angelenos want: accountability for homelessness and a stronger police presence. Pratt, a former reality television figure whose home burned in the Pacific Palisades fire in January 2025, has leaned into practical fixes instead of ideological slogans. Voters weary of crime, growing tent encampments, and a sense that the city is unraveling are listening to straightforward proposals more than political spin.
What makes the ad interesting is who paid for it: the LA County Federation of Labor, a coalition tied to hundreds of unions and hundreds of thousands of members. Their goal was to weaken Pratt by painting his positions as cruel, yet the spot simply restated concerns millions of residents share. That mismatch between intent and reception is a reminder that often, the left’s attempts to police discourse can hand momentum to the opposition.
The ad quotes Pratt as saying it’s time for the homeless to “get help or get out,” and it criticizes his preference for adding officers over adding social workers. To many Angelenos, the statement lands as plain common sense. People want safe streets and meaningful pathways out of homelessness, not endless rounds of failed experiments that cost taxpayers billions without delivering results.
🚨 NOW: Leftists are being brutally mocked for DROPPING THIS “attack ad” on LA Mayor candidate Spencer Pratt — which says he opposes rampant homelessness and supports the police
LMAO — and they’re spending hundreds of thousands to blast this everywhere! 🔥
“Pratt says it’s time for the homeless to get help or get out.”
“Pratt thinks LA needs thousands more police officers rather than more social workers.”
You can’t make this up!
KEEP PUSHING, @spencerpratt
Communists’ ATTACKS have turned into praise!
That quoted social post captures the core irony: the left tried to make the ad damaging, but the language made Pratt’s platform clearer. He’s arguing for policies that hold people accountable and restore order, and the ad simply amplified those talking points. When an opponent can’t help but repeat your message, you’ve effectively won free advertising.
The ad also mocks the notion that Los Angeles is improving, ending with the zinger “LA IS ON THE RIGHT TRACK.” For many residents, that claim feels detached from reality. From rising crime to visible homelessness and a strained city budget, people want leaders who fix problems instead of insisting everything is fine.
Consider the electoral math: recent debate reaction and polling show Pratt gaining traction among undecided voters after a strong performance. One post-debate summary noted that 90 percent of viewers thought Pratt outperformed the other candidates, while a UCLA Luskin poll placed him second at 11 percent with a large undecided bloc still in play. In a crowded field where no one is guaranteed a majority, those undecideds are the prize.
After the NBC4 debate, 90% of viewers said Spencer beat Bass and Raman, which is significant with the latest UCLA Luskin poll showing at least 40% of Los Angeles’ residents are undecided about who to vote for on June 2.
- The poll showed Bass was still leading by 25%, while Pratt was second with 11%, and Raman third at just 9%.
Los Angeles uses a top-two system: if no candidate hits 50 percent, the top two advance to November. That reality keeps the race fluid and means a surge in visibility or a viral moment can reshape the outcome. Union money and dark political spending are powerful, but they can also produce clumsy creative that motivates the wrong voters.
Pratt’s rise is still an uphill climb in a city dominated by progressive institutions, but this episode shows how political attacks can misfire spectacularly when they restate the challenger’s strongest arguments. If the left keeps producing ads that spotlight public frustration with crime and homelessness, they might do more to accelerate the shift they want to prevent.
Events like debate nights, viral clips, and media coverage matter more than ever in a crowded field with many undecided voters. The campaign ahead will test whether practical messaging that addresses safety, accountability, and real solutions can break through entrenched political machines and change the direction of Los Angeles policy and leadership.
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