Reality television star Spencer Pratt has announced he is running for mayor of Los Angeles, promising to “expose the system” and bring major change to City Hall.
His unlikely bid comes on the anniversary of the devastating wildfire that destroyed his home and became one of the most destructive fires in California history.
Pratt, 42, revealed his plans while speaking at a “They Let Us Burn” rally organised by residents who lost their homes in the Palisades Fire.
The demonstration marked one year since the fire broke out in Pacific Palisades on 7 January 2025, ripping through the wealthy coastal neighbourhood nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Another major blaze, the Eaton Fire, ignited just hours later on the opposite side of Los Angeles. Together, the fires killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 homes and businesses.
Pratt later shared photos on Instagram showing himself signing what appeared to be official campaign documents, though his candidacy has not yet been formally filed.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles,” he told the crowd on Wednesday. “And I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor.
“But let me be clear — this isn’t just a campaign. This is a mission, and we are going to expose the system.
“We are going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”
Pratt and his wife, former reality TV star Heidi Montag, lost their Pacific Palisades home in the fire.
Since then, Pratt has become an outspoken critic of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, blaming them for how the disaster was handled.
He first rose to fame in the mid-2000s as a cast member on MTV’s The Hills, a spin-off of Laguna Beach, where his relationship with Montag became one of the show’s main storylines.
The couple married in 2008 and have two children.
They later appeared on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here and the UK version of Celebrity Big Brother.
Despite his celebrity status, Pratt is a first-time political candidate and faces steep odds in a crowded field ahead of June’s non-partisan mayoral primary.
Mayor Karen Bass, who won the role in 2022 after defeating real estate developer Rick Caruso, is running for re-election.
More than a dozen other candidates have also entered the race.
