California voters frustrated by the routine failures of state and local leadership look set to send Spencer Pratt and Steve Hilton to runoff elections for mayor and governor after the first few ballot drops.<\/p>\n
In a major rebuke of Democrat rule in both Los Angeles and the state, both Pratt and Hilton held their positions steady Wednesday night. Hilton remained in the lead for the governor\u2019s race with 27.6% of the vote and Xavier Becerra was in second place with 25.6% with 56% of the vote counted.<\/p>\n
Pratt remained in second place with 29.91% of the vote behind Karen Bass at 34.97%. Nithya Raman trailed Pratt in third place with 22.81%.<\/p>\n
Pratt, who rose to fame as the bad boy in MTV\u2019s show \u201cThe Hills,\u201d is nipping at the heels of incumbent Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass<\/a> \u2014 all but assuring the two will meet again in November\u2019s general election. Pratt trailed Bass by less than 27,000 votes with 63% of the vote counted, according to the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder<\/a>.<\/p>\n Matthew Klink, a conservative political strategist in Los Angeles, told The Post that Pratt has a real chance if his \u201cclever\u201d campaign<\/a> \u2014 fueled by inventive AI videos and street art exposing the city\u2019s blight and corruption \u2014 continues to pour it on thick and avoid the status quo of policy papers and canned statements. <\/p>\n Los Angeles Mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is seen speaking with the media outside Don Antonio\u2019s restaurant. GC Images<\/p>\n Pratt\u2019s persistent banging of the drum of public safety issues and the lackluster response to the deadly LA wildfires made a mark. <\/p>\n \u201cMore than 60% of city of Los Angeles voters chose another candidate than the mayor,\u201d Klink said, noting left Councilmember Nithya Raman\u2019s ability to also siphon votes while currently sitting in third place. \t\t\t\t\t\t\tSign up for the California Morning Report newsletter\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tCalifornia’s top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Meanwhile, Steve Hilton \u2014 who scored the endorsement of President Trump in the California governor\u2019s race \u2014 was leading the pack<\/a> as of Wednesday evening.<\/p>\n The former Fox News host and adviser to ex-UK prime minister David Cameron has hammered away on the state\u2019s decline under one-party Democratic rule since Arnold Schwarzenegger left office in 2011, while also proposing novel policies that would bring gas prices down and eliminate state income taxes on anyone earning less than $100,000. <\/p>\n California Republican Gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is greeted by supporters at his primary night event. Getty Images<\/p>\n Hilton was besting establishment Democrat and former Biden cabinet secretary Xavier Becerra by more than 100,000 votes, and progressive billionaire Tom Steyer by a whopping 400,000 votes, according to the Secretary of State\u2019s Office<\/a> Wednesday.<\/p>\n John McLaughlin, CEO of McLaughlin & Associates and pollster for The Post, said Hilton for his part has struck a nerve with California voters \u2014 suggesting that Democrats may be numb to the realities on the ground due to California\u2019s overwhelmingly blue voter registration advantage. <\/p>\n \u201cWith 50% of voters saying they disapprove of [Gov. Gavin] Newsom, and 56% saying the state is on the wrong track, I think Steve Hilton hit that message pretty well,\u201d McLaughlin said. <\/p>\n Xavier Becerra speaking at his gubernatorial election night party. David Buchan for Ca Post<\/p>\n \u201cThe challenge for Steve Hilton will be getting Democrats to vote for him,\u201d McLaughlin said, noting that Republicans need roughly 20% to 25% of Democrats to cross over in a statewide California race. \u201cDemocrats don\u2019t need a tweak around the edges \u2014 they need a reboot.\u201d <\/p>\n It will take a near unprecedented comeback from Steyer and Raman in the gubernatorial and mayoral races, respectively, for Hilton and Pratt not to advance to the November runoff, experts said. <\/p>\n With five months to go, both political outsiders will have ample time to make the case for change to California voters. <\/p>\n
\u201cClearly, Bass is vulnerable.\u201d <\/p>\n
Klink added, \u201cThe Democratic Party just swamps Republicans and no-party-preference voters in the state, which is sad. It breaks my heart.\u201d <\/p>\n