Spencer Pratt, who rose to fame on hit reality series The Hills and The Princes of Malibu, announced Wednesday that he plans to run for mayor of Los Angeles in the June election.
Pratt, who lost his home in the deadly Palisades wildfire last year, said at a fire anniversary event that “this just isn’t a campaign, this is a mission. And we are going to expose the system.”
The event called “They Let Us Burn!” was a rally critical of the state and local government’s handling of the Jan. 7 wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
In the aftermath of the disaster, Pratt emerged as an outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of failing to prevent the blaze. He sued the city and used social media to push back against denser housing.
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling, it’s fundamentally broken. It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favours with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash,” Pratt, 42, said as he launched his bid for mayor.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor,” he continued.
“We’re going into every dark corner of L.A. politics and disinfecting the city with our life and when we are done, L.A. is going to be camera-ready again,” Pratt said.
Pratt took aim at Newsom, blaming him for allowing brush to “grow wild in Topanga State Park for 50 years with no prescribed burns and no wildfire maintenance.”
“Gavin Newsom and the state of California created an insurance market so hostile that every major carrier stopped writing policies and dropped our families and our neighbours just before the sparks flew here in the Palisades,” he said to the crowd.
Pratt’s wife, Heidi Montag, 39, spoke before him, tearfully reminiscing about the loss of their home and community due to the wildfires.
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“I wish I was here dropping off my kids at school, seeing you all at the grocery store, not marking the one-year anniversary that changed all of our lives,” she said. “Looking at your face, I don’t just see my neighbours. I see people who we literally walked through the fire with.”
Montag also said that the city of Los Angeles needs “accountability,” before supporting her husband’s mayoral bid.
“Over the last year I have watched him work tirelessly — not just for my family but for yours. He has been relentless in exposing the negligence of the state, the city and the LADWP,” Montag said. “He’s not doing this to make friends. In fact, he’s losing a lot of people he once thought were friends. But he cannot stay silent in the face of injustice.”
Pratt, a Republican, posted a photo to social media that appeared to show him filling out paperwork required for his 2026 mayoral bid, writing, “Yes, it’s official. Papers are filed and campaign is open: mayorpratt.com.”
The California Republican Party has not had any contact with Pratt regarding his candidacy but was attempting to reach him, spokesman Matt Shupe said.
In another statement, Shupe said, “The reality is that Democrat leaders have set the bar so incredibly low with their inability to complete any public project, run anything competently, proudly facilitate mass, un-checked crime and fraud, and a flippant disregard for voters, that literally anyone is an upgrade.”
Pratt has already earned an endorsement from Richard Grenell, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
“I endorse @spencerpratt for Mayor of Los Angeles and will help raise money for him. Transparency is what we need. Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles,” Grenell wrote on X.
The Hills alum’s candidacy was also endorsed by Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor.
“‘Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles’ @SpencerPratt for mayor!! Proud to be there to support you. We need leadership like yours,” Hilton wrote on X.
Alex Villanueva, who served as the 33rd sheriff of Los Angeles County, said it was an honour “to endorse my good friend @SpencerPratt for Mayor of LA!”
“It’s time for positive change folks,” he wrote.
Doug Herman, a spokesman for current mayor Bass’ campaign, dismissed Pratt’s candidacy in a statement to The New York Times while referring to the reality TV star’s upcoming memoir, The Guy You Loved To Hate, set to be released on Jan. 27.
“It’s no shock that in advance of his imminent book release, a reality TV ‘villain’ who once staged a fake divorce to boost ratings and spent the last summer spewing post-fire misinformation and disinformation to pump up his social media following, would now announce he’s running for mayor,” Herman said.
If Pratt moves ahead with his plans, he would join a field that includes Bass, who is seeking a second, four-year term; Austin Beutner, a former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District and community organizer Rae Huang.
Candidates can continue to enter the race through early next month and the primary takes place on June 2.
— With files from The Associated Press
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