Spencer Pratt is feeling confident after a strong performance in his first mayoral debate. He told CBS that many of his supporters are Democrats, which he believes will help him win 51% of the vote in the June primary.
“Everyone I know – my family – are all Democrats. I grew up in LA. I went to Crossroads. Everyone who texted me last night, great, congratulations – is all Democrats,” he told CBS’s Adam Yamaguchi.
In his first network interview, Pratt, a registered Republican, said he appeals to Angelenos regardless of party because he focuses on local issues and not just political rhetoric.
“I don’t do national politics. I don’t do tribal politics. I don’t talk about other states. I’m localized. I just want to fix our streets, turn on the lights. I want people to feel safe,” said Pratt. “I want to make sure that our tax dollars are not robbed by these literal criminal NGOs who are stealing from our taxes to increase homelessness.”
Pratt admitted that there are only two people who don’t support his campaign.
“It’s only the socialists and the communists who don’t support me. But no, I am confident that I will probably win with 51% on June 2 because I am not sending a political message,” he told the newspaper.
Pratt is riding a wave of momentum after Wednesday’s debate, with another online NBC Los Angeles Poll showing that 89% of voters chose the reality star as the clear winner in the fiery showdown.
While the Palisades Fire was the catalyst behind Pratt’s mayoral run, the reality star used his time on stage Wednesday to attack LA Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilmember Nithya Raman on a range of topics — from homelessness, drugs, crime and the cost of living.
Even some Democratic strategists acknowledge that Pratt should be considered a serious candidate after his dominant debate performance.
“Spencer Pratt made me laugh, not because he made jokes, but because he had answers that resonated with Angelenos,” tweeted Michael Trujillo, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton who also served as her field director in California during the 2008 presidential race. “The guy is a vibe check for the whole city.”
Trujillo said the question arises as to whether Republicans will actually vote. However, Pratt seems to think he already knows the answer.
“So I have Democrats loving me, Republicans loving me, Independents loving me, Libertarians loving me, Constitutionalists loving me,” he told the paper.
The interview with Pratt will be shown in full on CBS Mornings on Friday.
