From reality TV to city hall? Trump-backed Spencer Pratt soars in LA mayor race as Californians vote

By Fox News · Fox News

Republicans are aiming to break longtime losing streaks by taking first steps toward winning elections for governor and Los Angeles mayor as voters in Democrat-dominated California head to the polls on Tuesday. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump 's clout over the GOP will once again face a ballot box test, in a gubernatorial showdown in Iowa, while the Hawkeye State's Democratic Senate nomination is the latest battle between the establishment and progressive wings of the party. California and Iowa are two of the six states holding primary contests from coast to coast during the first week of June, in elections that will impact November's midterms, when the GOP's slim Senate and razor-thin House majorities will be up for grabs. The election arguably grabbing the most headlines nationally is in Los Angeles, where it's been three decades since a Republican won a mayoral contest in the nation's second most populous city. Spencer Pratt, a reality TV star and online influencer-turned-mayoral candidate, is gaining traction, thanks in part to his populist pitch and viral videos. THE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS BOOSTING SPENCER PRATT IN THE LOS ANGELES MAYOR SHOWDOWN Pratt, a Republican running as an independent in the left-leaning city, is backed by Trump. His rise is also fueled in part by his well-known status as one of the victims who lost their homes in last year's devastating wildfires, when over 17,000 homes in Los Angeles County were destroyed, as well as his right-leaning focus on homelessness, crime and government accountability in a city long run by Democrats. "I keep saying I become the mayor because of moms. Moms are getting me elected. Moms do not feel safe in Los Angeles. Not just feel safe, they are not safe. Nobody's safe really in LA unless you're the drug dealer. The drug dealers and the people giving them the needles, the city, our taxpayer money, the needle givers, they're safe, the meth pipe givers. They're safe. Everyone else is not safe in LA," Pratt argue…