Ex-Reality TV Star Announces Bid for Los Angeles Mayor

Former reality television star Spencer Pratt announced Wednesday that he would run for mayor of Los Angeles on a campaign of “disinfecting” the city.

“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles,” Pratt said at an anniversary rally in remembrance of last year’s devastating Palisades fire. “And I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor.”

Pratt, who most notably appeared on six seasons of MTV’s mid-2000s hit “The Hills,” became an outspoken critic of outgoing LA mayor Karen Bass after losing his home in the blaze last fall.

“We’re going to expose the system,” Pratt announced to the crowd of hundreds. “We’re going into every dark corner of LA politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”

In a statement to Politico, Doug Herman, a campaign strategist for Bass, struck back at Pratt’s decision to enter the race.

“It’s no shock that in advance of his imminent book release, a reality TV ‘villain’ who once staged a fake divorce to boost ratings and spent the last summer spewing post-fire misinformation and disinformation to pump up his social media following, would now announce he’s running for mayor,” Herman said.

Pratt is joining an already crowded replace to replace Bass, including former LA superintendent Austin Beutner and community organizer Rae Huang.

Pratt’s announcement comes days after fellow former reality television star and internet personality Trisha Paytas revealed that she was researching how to run for a California congressional seat.

“I think I’m serious … I’m really going to try and run,” Paytas said on Tuesday’s episode of her podcast, “Just Trish.” “I think there are stupider people in Congress than me, at least I have a passion for it. California really needs somebody like me … California could be good.”

Paytas lives in Westlake Village, making her an eligible candidate for either Rep. Julia Brownley or Rep. Brad Sherman’s districts, both of which are on November’s ballot.

Pratt and Paytas are just the latest in a stream of internet influencers expressing an interest in politics following President Donald Trump’s second presidential win.

NOTUS reported in April 2025 that at least three progressive social media influencers launched campaigns for congressional seats in safely blue districts.

Kat Abughazaleh, a content creator with over 200,000 followers on TikTok who is running for Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s Illinois seat, told NOTUS that her decision to run against Schakowsky was not about “lashing out in revenge” but a desire for political urgency.

“I’m sick of waiting around for someone to do something, and I have a lot of ideas on how things should be done. So instead of just talking and talking shit, what if I actually did something,” Abughazaleh told NOTUS. “That’s really what it boils down to.”