Reality television star Spencer Pratt has launched a campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, vowing to “expose the system”.
His longshot bid for city hall comes on the anniversary of a wildfire that destroyed his home and became one of California’s most destructive blazes on record.
Pratt, 42, made the announcement while speaking at a “They Let Us Burn” rally organised by residents who lost houses in the Palisades Fire.
The protest marked a year since the fire ignited in the Pacific Palisades on 7 January 2025, tearing through the wealthy coastal community tucked between the Santa Monica Mountains and the Pacific Ocean.
Another blaze, the Eaton Fire, sparked hours later on the other side of the city. In total, 31 people were killed and more than 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed.
Pratt posted photos on his Instagram page showing him signing what appears to be official campaign paperwork, although his filing was not yet official.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles,” he told Wednesday’s demonstration, “and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor.
“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 LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”
He and his wife, former reality TV star Heidi Montag, lost their Pacific Palisades home in the fire.
Pratt has since emerged as a vocal critic of Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom over their handling of the disaster.
Pratt rose to fame in the mid-2000s as a cast member on MTV’s Laguna Beach spin-off The Hills, where his relationship with Montag became a central storyline.
The couple wed 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, Pratt is a first-time candidate who faces long odds in a crowded field for June’s non-partisan mayoral primary.
Bass, who won the mayoralty in 2022 after defeating real estate developer Rick Caruso, is seeking re-election.
More than a dozen other candidates have entered the race.