he's not my opponent—just another guy trying to do right by his city
In a city still reckoning with the aftermath of devastating fires and a crisis of civic confidence, Los Angeles mayoral candidate Tish Hyman has drawn a careful line between preference and endorsement — signaling that Spencer Pratt, a television personality turned community advocate, would be a more acceptable steward of the city than incumbent Karen Bass. Her position reflects something older than any single election: the moment when dissatisfaction with power becomes louder than loyalty to it, and ordinary voters begin searching for someone who has simply shown up.
- Hyman stopped short of a formal endorsement but made her preference unmistakable — if it comes down to Pratt or Bass, she sides with Pratt.
- She credited Pratt's hands-on advocacy during Palisades fire recovery as 'God's work,' a pointed contrast to what she sees as Bass's failure to serve everyday Angelenos.
- When Pratt's family controversy surfaced, Hyman dismissed it as private drama, refusing to let personal disputes define a candidate's public fitness.
- Pratt himself has been far less measured, branding Bass 'Karen Basura' and predicting criminal charges against her in rhetoric echoing the Trump political playbook.
- The three-way race is crystallizing around a single fault line: whether voter anger at current leadership is diffuse enough to split between challengers, or focused enough to unseat Bass entirely.
Tish Hyman is running for Los Angeles mayor — and she wants to win. But she has made something else clear: if the race narrows to Spencer Pratt or Karen Bass, she would rather see Pratt prevail. It is a careful distinction, preference without endorsement, and she drew it deliberately.
Hyman's case against Bass is rooted in the everyday — a sense that the current administration has failed ordinary Angelenos when they needed leadership most. Her case for Pratt is more personal: she pointed to his advocacy in the wake of the Palisades fires, which consumed homes in his own neighborhood, calling his efforts 'God's work.' In her framing, Pratt is not a rival but a fellow citizen trying to serve his city.
When questions arose about a family controversy — Pratt's sister has publicly questioned his fitness for office — Hyman declined to engage. Other people's family disputes, she said, are not her concern. The implication was plain: the drama doesn't disqualify him.
Pratt himself has been less restrained. At campaign events he has branded Bass 'Karen Basura,' predicted she faces obstruction of justice charges, and leaned into an accusatory style drawn from the Trump political era. The contrast with Hyman's measured tone is sharp.
Together, the three candidates trace the outline of a city in search of itself — still unsettled by fire, still measuring its leaders against the weight of crisis. Whether Hyman's quiet preference for Pratt over Bass signals where her own voters might eventually land is a question the election has not yet answered.
Tish Hyman is running for Los Angeles mayor. She is not endorsing Spencer Pratt. But she would rather see him win than Karen Bass.
Hyman made this clear in a recent conversation, drawing a careful distinction between preference and formal support. She wants the job herself, she said, but if the race came down to Pratt or Bass, she'd lean toward Pratt. The current mayor, in her view, has failed to deliver for ordinary Angelenos, and voters are hungry for something different.
Pratt, a television personality turned candidate, earned Hyman's respect for his work on recovery from the Palisades fires, which destroyed homes in his own neighborhood last year. She called his advocacy "God's work"—a phrase that carried weight in her assessment of his fitness for office. Where Bass's administration fell short, Hyman suggested, Pratt has shown up. She framed him not as her rival but as another person trying to serve his city, someone engaged in the same project she is.
When asked about the recent family controversy surrounding Pratt—his sister has made public claims questioning his suitability for the role—Hyman deflected. She said she doesn't involve herself in other people's family disputes and prefers to let them sort their own affairs. The implication was clear: whatever his family drama, it doesn't disqualify him in her eyes.
Hyman was explicit about her own ambitions. She is in the race to win it. But she also signaled a kind of democratic acceptance: if Pratt prevails, that reflects the will of Los Angeles voters, and she will respect that outcome. She framed herself as someone who will accept whoever the electorate chooses, provided they are the best candidate for the job.
Meanwhile, Pratt himself has been more combative. At a campaign event, he expressed confidence that he can defeat Bass, whom he referred to using a Spanish-language slur—"Karen Basura," trash. He has suggested that Bass faces potential legal jeopardy, specifically obstruction of justice charges, which he presented as a reason voters should reject her. His rhetoric drew from the political playbook of President Trump, heavy on accusations and predictions of criminal liability.
The three-way race reflects a broader current in Los Angeles politics: a sense that the current administration has not met the moment, particularly in the wake of the fires and other crises. Hyman's positioning—neither fully backing Pratt nor attacking him, while clearly signaling dissatisfaction with Bass—suggests a calculation that voters are open to alternatives. Whether that translates into votes for Hyman herself, or whether her preference for Pratt over Bass signals where her own support might ultimately flow, remains to be seen.
Citas Notables
He's doing 'God's work' in his advocacy on the Palisades fires— Tish Hyman, on Spencer Pratt
The current leadership hasn't delivered for everyday Angelenos and voters are ready for a serious switch-up— Tish Hyman
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Hyman prefer Pratt if she's running against both of them?
Because Bass represents the status quo she's arguing has failed. Pratt, whatever his flaws, is at least not the incumbent. If Hyman can't win, she'd rather see the seat go to someone who hasn't already had a chance to deliver.
But doesn't praising Pratt's fire recovery work undercut her own campaign message?
Not necessarily. She's saying the current leadership didn't do enough. Pratt showed up. That's a factual claim about his actions, separate from whether she thinks she'd be better.
What about his sister's allegations? Why dismiss those so quickly?
She's trying to stay above the fray. Getting into family disputes makes you look petty. She's positioning herself as the serious candidate who focuses on policy, not gossip.
Is this really a three-way race, or is it Bass versus everyone else?
It's starting to feel like the latter. Both challengers are unified on one thing: Bass has to go. That's powerful, even if they disagree on everything else.
What does Pratt's "Karen Basura" comment tell us about his campaign?
That he's willing to be crude and inflammatory. It's a Trump move—attack the opponent personally, make wild claims about jail time. It's a different style from Hyman's measured approach, but it might resonate with voters who are angry.