Union-funded 'attack ad' against Pratt seems aimed at helping him make runoff, analysts say
Los Angeles Times • • nation
Key Points:
- A campaign ad funded by the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor criticizes Spencer Pratt but appears to highlight his conservative positions, potentially boosting his appeal to Republican voters in the June 2 mayoral primary.
- Political analysts suggest the ad aims to help Pratt, a Republican, advance to the November runoff against Mayor Karen Bass by splitting the progressive vote with City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is Pratt's main competitor.
- Both Bass and Raman campaigns accuse each other of trying to manipulate the runoff dynamics, with Bass's team denying coordination with Pratt and Raman alleging Bass prefers facing Pratt over her.
- The strategy of boosting a Republican candidate in a heavily Democratic area to create an easier runoff opponent has precedent in California politics, though some experts criticize this approach as disingenuous.
- The Federation of Labor's $221,000 expenditure on the ad is relatively small in the context of the mayoral race, and legally, they must maintain an arms-length relationship with Bass's campaign.