The LA mayor race is a chaotic three-way scramble, with reality TV figure Spencer Pratt riding online attention to challenge an unpopular incumbent — bad news for the city's establishment Democrats.

• Mayor Karen Bass is seen as damaged, mainly over the slow rebuild after the Palisades fire.
• The latest poll shows a near three-way tie: Bass, councilmember Nithya Raman, and Pratt all bunched together.
• Pratt's closing pitch tells Raman's left-wing voters she can't win and to back him instead, while attacking her for streaming with Hasan Piker.
• Raman jumped in at the last minute and has run a weak, low-energy campaign with small crowds.
• LA's deeper problem is economic: Hollywood and old aerospace jobs have left, hollowing out the middle class even as real estate stays expensive.

Outlook: A runoff likely pits Bass against Pratt, but strategic voting could still push Raman through or even knock Bass to third.