Reality television star Spencer Pratt has announced his intention to run for mayor of Los Angeles, positioning his campaign as a challenge to what he described as entrenched political failures in the city.
Pratt, 42, unveiled his long-shot mayoral bid on the anniversary of the devastating Palisades wildfire, which destroyed his Pacific Palisades home and became one of California’s most destructive blazes on record.
He made the announcement during a “They Let Us Burn” rally, organised by residents who lost their homes in the January 7, 2025 fire that tore through the affluent coastal community between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
The Palisades Fire was followed hours later by the Eaton Fire on the opposite side of Los Angeles. Together, the twin disasters claimed 31 lives and destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses across the city.
Pratt later shared images on Instagram showing him signing what appeared to be campaign documents, although his candidacy has not yet been formally filed.
Addressing the rally, Pratt accused city leadership of complacency and failure, declaring that “business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles.”
“I’m done waiting for someone else to take real action,” he said. “This is not just a campaign. It’s a mission to expose the system and shine light into the darkest corners of LA politics.”
Pratt and his wife, former reality TV star Heidi Montag, lost their home in the fire. Since the disaster, Pratt has emerged as a vocal critic of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom over their handling of wildfire preparedness and emergency response.
The reality TV personality rose to prominence in the mid-2000s as a cast member of MTV’s The Hills, where his relationship with Montag became a central storyline. The couple married in 2008 and have two children.
They have since appeared on several reality programmes, including I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here and the UK edition of Celebrity Big Brother.
Despite his celebrity status, Pratt enters the race as a political newcomer and faces steep odds in a crowded, non-partisan mayoral primary scheduled for June.
Mayor Karen Bass, who was elected in 2022 after defeating real estate developer Rick Caruso, is seeking re-election, alongside more than a dozen other declared candidates.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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