“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action,” said Pratt.
Spencer Pratt, the reality television personality best known for The Hills, announced this week that he is running for Mayor of Los Angeles, challenging incumbent Karen Bass and existing city leadership Pratt believes is plagued by systemic failures and corruption.
On Jan. 7, 2026, exactly one year after the historic Palisades wildfire destroyed his home, Pratt stood in Pacific Palisades and declared his bid at a rally titled “They Let Us Burn!”
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action,” said Pratt. “That’s why I am running for Mayor.”
First gaining fame in the mid-2000s as a cast member of MTV’s The Hills, Pratt cultivated a reputation as a provocateur long before he became politically active. Over the past year, however, he has pivoted that platform toward public policy critique focused in large part on the government’s handling of wildfire prevention, emergency response, and recovery.
Pratt and his wife, Heidi Montag, even sued the city of Los Angeles and the Department of Water and Power, arguing that their failure to maintain water supply infrastructure, particularly an empty reservoir, hampered firefighting efforts and directly led to their losses. “Defendants deliberately designed and maintained this water supply system in this way, despite Los Angeles being in a fire-prone area,” the lawsuit alleges.
Pratt hopes that his unique background, connections, and ability to exist outside the traditional left versus right partisan paradigm will set his candidacy apart from typical political hopefuls in what is sure to be a competitive and hard-fought race.
Perhaps because he so frequently criticizes Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, media outlets have tried to run with the narrative that Pratt is—as Politico’s The Playbook Podcast put it—a “conservative influencer.” That comment was made after Pratt enlisted help from U.S. Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) to open a Congressional investigation into the mishandling of the California wildfires. Pratt thought the attempt to brand him nothing more than a right-wing partisan was laughable.
“I’ll meet with anybody with any power that can help the victims in the Palisades,” he said in a TikTok video. “No Democrat Senator has messaged me. If they want to message me, walk around the Palisades, and figure out how to help the Palisades, of course I’m going to walk around with them.”
But the dishonest reporting did not end with Politico.
In their coverage of Pratt’s announcement, CBS LosAngeles’ Tom Wait accused Pratt of “pushing unproven claims” including the “false claim” that $100 million in Fire Aid money is unaccounted for. Critics jumped in—including Akerman CEO Scott A. Meyers—to point out that Pratt’s mention of the $100 million was to highlight frustration that “donors were fooled into trusting it would go to the victims. Instead it went to ‘non-profits’ that have nothing to do with the fire.”
“Suggesting that @spencerpratt is being dishonest is dishonest propaganda, presented as “journalism,’” said Meyers on Twitter/X. “This is what you’re up against, Mr. Pratt. It’s a political machine that has the local press by the balls.”
“What I’m doing isn’t ‘political,’” Pratt said in response to attempts to tie him to the conservative right. “Everyone should want accountability for criminal negligence.”
That said, prominent figures on the right—both at the local and national level—have responded quite positively to Pratt entering the race. Ric Grenell, Special Presidential Envoy for Special Missions, endorsed Pratt and announced he would help raise money for the campaign.
“Transparency is what we need,” said Grenell. “Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles.”
Steve Hilton, the leading Republican candidate for Governor, also endorsed Pratt’s campaign, posting on Twitter/X that he’s “with him all the way.” Additional endorsements include Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva, Riverside County Sheriff and gubernatorial candidate Chad Bianco, prominent venture capitalist Shaun Maguire, Saddle River Councilman Jon Kurpis, wildfire attorney Alexander Robinson, and numerous community leaders.
The odds of Pratt winning the race against a well-funded and well-established Democrat machine that has held dominant power in Los Angeles for many decades remain somewhat low. Nevertheless, the media and politicians alike should take this black sheep candidate seriously. His star-power, combined with a willingness to combat corruption and message which resonates with voters on both sides of the aisle, will likely make him a formidable challenger at the very least.
“We’re going to expose the system,” Pratt told supporters. “We’re going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting this city with our light. And when we are done, L.A. is going to be camera-ready again.”
