\n<\/p>\n
Reality television star Spencer Pratt has launched a campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, vowing to “expose the system”.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
Pratt, 42, made the announcement while speaking at a “They Let Us Burn” rally organised by residents who lost houses in the Palisades Fire. <\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Pratt posted photos on his Instagram page showing him signing what appears to be official campaign paperwork, although his filing was not yet official.<\/p>\n
“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.<\/p>\n
“But let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign. This is a mission, and we are going to expose the system. <\/p>\n
“We are going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”<\/p>\n
He and his wife, former reality TV star Heidi Montag, lost their Pacific Palisades home in the fire.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
The couple wed in 2008 and have two children. <\/p>\n
They later appeared on I’m a Celebrity\u2026Get Me Out of Here and the UK edition of Celebrity Big Brother.<\/p>\n
Despite his fame, Pratt is a first-time candidate who faces long odds in a crowded field for June’s non-partisan mayoral primary.<\/p>\n
Bass, who won the mayoralty in 2022 after defeating real estate developer Rick Caruso, is seeking re-election.<\/p>\n
More than a dozen other candidates have entered the race.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n