LOS ANGELES — Nearly a week after polls closed, Los Angeles still has no idea who will face off against incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a November runoff. That has led to loud accusations that the fix is in — and the victim this time is reality TV star and upstart candidate Spencer Pratt.Claims, however, that the vote is rigged overlook key realities on the ground, including California’s prolonged vote-counting process, late-arriving mail ballots, questions about Pratt’s qualifications for office, as well as a seeming focus on national media in the closing stages of the campaign, as opposed to the grassroots.Pratt, who is a Republican, built an unusually visible campaign fueled by celebrity, the social media echo chamber, effective campaign videos, and overall frustration with City Hall. National media outlets flocked to cover his unlikely bid to lead the U.S.’s second-largest city. Pratt’s supporters were highly visible, vocal, and convinced he represented a political movement larger than traditional polling suggested.
When the first votes were reported on election night last Tuesday, it appeared they might be right. While Bass quickly emerged as the leading vote-getter, Pratt was running ahead of Democratic Councilwoman Nithya Raman.
