According to reports from the city’s Ethics Commission, as of April 24 former reality tv star Spencer Pratt is leading in fundraising efforts for his Mayoral campaign against his competitors. So far he has raised almost $540,000 since Jan. 1 and is followed by City Councilmember Nithya Raman who has fundraised $530,000 since her announcement for running for mayor in February.
Raman is the one of the latest to announce her run for mayor, so it is notable that she has $530,000 in 2 months. According to a Los Angeles Times report, Raman has received most of her funding from entertainment industry professionals such as producers and writers.
As of Jan. 1 Mayor Karen Bass has raised a total of $495,000 in fundraising and is seeking a reelection. There are currently 13 other challenges placing their bid for the position in the June 2 primary, including tech entrepreneur and businessman Adam Miller and community organizer and pastor, Rae Huang. Bass began fundraising for a potential second term in 2024 and apparently has $2.3 million available for her campaign, the Times reported. Other records show that Bass has raised a little over $2.8 million since her campaign began.
Miller has donated $2.5 million of his own funds to his campaign.
Pratt lost his home in January 2025’s Palisades Fire, sparking criticism towards Bass, as he has been vocal about the fire, Bass response, and her other directives.
“There’s no meaningful difference in the amount of money the top three candidates have raised,” said Dan Schnur, a political science professor at Pepperdine University USC and UC Berkeley said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. He suggests that despite the small differences in their fundraising dollars, fundraising polling reports usually show that top three candidates evenly match funds for the final weeks of the campaign.
“The fact that Bass hasn’t raised more than her challengers as the incumbent should be of some concern to her campaign.” He also said that Pratt’s rise in funds have legitimized his presence amongst his contenders, as the public did not seemingly think he would become the top contender as of late April but the odds are still stacked against him as Los Angeles is a blue city.
Once publicly funded matching funds are compiled Bass’ campaign will have a total of $3.7 million, according to the city’s Ethics Commission. Also, in total Raman has received a little over $1.1 million due to matching funds of almost $612,000. Since Jan. 1, Juang has raised more than $165,000, with total contributions rounding out to $273,000.
A UCLA poll that was released in early April showed that Huang and Miller each received three percent of the vote. 9 percent of the participants in the poll said they back a different candidate. The top two finishers will move on to the face off in November if no candidate receives a majority in the primary.
Only two of the ten Los Angeles mayors who have run for a second term since the office’s term was extended to four years in 1925 have been rejected: James Hahn in 2005 and John C. Porter in 1929.