Spencer Pratt Launches Bid to Become Los Angeles Mayor After Wildfire Fallout

Spencer Pratt has announced he is running to be the next mayor of Los Angeles, saying the city needs urgent change after last year’s devastating wildfires.

The 42-year-old reality TV star rose to fame in 2007 through The Hills, where his relationship with now-wife Heidi Montag made them two of the most talked-about — and controversial — figures on television. In recent years, the couple had largely stepped away from the spotlight, until disaster struck.

Pratt and Montag lost their home in Pacific Palisades during the wildfires that tore through parts of Southern California last year. In the aftermath, they became vocal critics of how the city handled the crisis and were part of a group that sued Los Angeles over its response.

On Wednesday, exactly one year after the fire, Pratt announced his mayoral run at a rally called “They Let Us Burn” in Palisades Village. Around 1,000 people attended the demonstration, many of them still angry and grieving over the losses caused by the blaze.

Speaking to the crowd, Pratt said he could no longer accept what he described as inaction from city leaders.

“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action,” he said. “That’s why I am running for mayor.”

He framed his campaign as more than a typical political run, promising to challenge what he sees as deep-rooted problems in city government.

“This isn’t just a campaign, this is a mission,” Pratt said. “We are going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting this city with our light. And when we are done, LA is going to be camera-ready again.”

The wildfires unexpectedly pushed Pratt and Montag back into public attention. Earlier this year, a 2010 Heidi Montag album, Superficial, suddenly shot to the top of the iTunes charts after gaining traction on TikTok. At the same time, Pratt went viral for emotional videos documenting his family’s evacuation and the loss of their home.

In January, a columnist noted the strange contrast of pop culture revival alongside real tragedy, as countless families — famous and not — lost homes, pets, livelihoods, and, in some cases, their lives.

Pratt later revealed that sharing his family’s experience online also became a source of income during a difficult period. He said he earned about $4,000 through TikTok posts and roughly $20,000 through TikTok Live while updating followers about their situation.

Now, Pratt is attempting to turn personal loss and public anger into political momentum. Whether voters will take his mayoral bid seriously remains to be seen, but his announcement has already reignited debate about wildfire preparedness, city leadership, and who gets to lead Los Angeles into its next chapter.