Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt launches bid for Los Angeles mayor

By Asiye Latife Yilmaz

ISTANBUL (AA) - Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt announced his candidacy for the mayor of Los Angeles, pledging to “expose the system.”

“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,” Pratt said on Wednesday.

He announced his mayoral bid at a rally marking the first anniversary of the Jan. 7, 2025 Palisades Fire, which destroyed his home and devastated the Pacific Palisades community.

He has sharply criticized officials’ response to the wildfire, directing much of his criticism at California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

“But let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign -- this is a mission, and we are going to expose the system. We are going into every dark corner of L.A. politics and disinfecting the city with our light,” Pratt said.

Pratt gained national attention in the mid-2000s through MTV’s The Hills, where his on-screen relationship with his wife Heidi Montag featured prominently.