Reality TV star Spencer Pratt has launched a campaign to become mayor of Los Angeles, vowing to “expose the system.”
His ambitious bid for mayoralty comes on the anniversary of the wildfire that destroyed his home and became one of California's deadliest fires ever.
Pratt, 42, made the remarks while speaking at a “They Let Us Burn” rally organized by residents who lost homes in the Palisades fire.
The protest marked a year since the Pacific Palisades fire broke out on Jan. 7, 2025, engulfing the wealthy coastal community nestled between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Another fire, the Eaton Fire, broke out a few hours later on the other side of town. In total, 31 people were killed and more than 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed.
Pratt posted photos on his Instagram page that showed him signing official campaign documents, although his documents were not yet official.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles,” he said at Wednesday’s demonstration, “and I’m tired of waiting for someone to take real action. That's why I'm running for mayor.”
“But let me be clear: this is not a campaign. This is a mission and we are going to expose the system.
“We go into every dark corner of Los Angeles politics and sanitize the city with our light.”
He and his wife, former reality TV star Heidi Montag, lost their home in Pacific Palisades to a fire.
Pratt has since been vocal in his criticism of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom for their handling of the disaster.
Pratt rose to fame in the mid-2000s as a cast member on MTV's Laguna Beach spinoff The Hills, where his relationship with Montag became a central storyline.
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 edition of Celebrity Big Brother.
Despite his fame, this is Pratt's first time running a candidate who faces long odds in a crowded field in the nonpartisan mayoral primary in June.
Bass, who won the mayor's office in 2022 after defeating developer Rick Caruso, is seeking re-election.
More than a dozen other candidates have entered the race.
