Reality TV star Spencer Pratt made it official this week, filing paperwork to enter the 2026 race for mayor of Los Angeles.
“The Hills” alum announced his candidacy last month on the anniversary of the Palisades Fire that destroyed the home he shared with his wife, Heidi Montag, and their two young sons.
“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling, it’s fundamentally broken,” Pratt said while speaking at a rally in early January. “It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with, while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash.”
“I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor,” he added. “But let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign. This is a mission, and we are going to expose the system.”
In the wake of the Palisades Fire, Pratt and Montag sued the city of Los Angeles over allegations that water issues hampered firefighting efforts. Pratt also became an outspoken critic of current L.A. Mayor Karen Bass over her response to the disaster, going so far as to give her the derogatory nickname of “Karen Basura” — Spanish for “trash” — and calling for her to be locked up.
“The L.A. Times came out with what I’ve known since November,” Pratt told TMZ at a campaign event on Wednesday, referring to claims that Bass directed the watering down of a report on the Palisades Fire.
“‘Karen Basura’ has literally obstructed justice and took the LAFD after-action report and altered it, which is a crime,” he said. “So, she’ll probably be facing criminal charges. I don’t even think she’s gonna be able to run for mayor.”
Bass has denied that allegation and previously suggested that she’s not particularly concerned about Pratt’s campaign.
Pratt isn’t the only reality TV personality entering politics as of late. “Teen Mom” alum Farrah Abraham had planned to run for Austin mayor, but quickly withdrew her campaign after learning that election isn’t until 2028. She’s now running for Austin City Council instead.
Meanwhile, actor, comedian and “Traitors” star Michael Rapaport has announced his plans to run for New York City mayor in 2029.
“I will do my best to make New York City affordable, but you will be getting nothing for free,” the native New Yorker said in an Instagram video announcing his bid.
