May 27, 2026 2:40pm PT
'Daily Variety' podcast dives into news, trends and personalities making headlines in showbiz
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On today’s episode of “Daily Variety” podcast, Variety’s Gene Maddaus tries to make sense of California’s fractious electoral politics as the June 2 primary approaches. He explains why incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is hoping that the primary leaves her in a runoff against reality star Spencer Pratt, and why so many top contenders opted to sit out the state’s gubernatorial race.
Maddaus, Variety‘s senior media writer who covers politics and public policy, looks at the dynamics among incumbent L.A. Mayor Bass and challengers Pratt, a reality TV star, and L.A. City Council member Nithya Raman.











