Spencer Pratt, the reality television personality who said he lost his home in the Palisades wildfire, announced Wednesday that he intends to run for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2026 contest. Pratt made the statement at a fire-anniversary rally, “They Let Us Burn!,” where he criticized state and local officials’ response to the Jan. 7 wildfire that killed 12 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
At the event, Pratt framed the announcement as more than an electoral bid. He said, “this just isn’t a campaign, this is a mission. And we are going to expose the system,” according to the event remarks reported by The Associated Press.
The rally’s focus was the handling of the blaze by elected leaders in Sacramento and Los Angeles. In the aftermath of the fire, Pratt became an outspoken critic of Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, and said they failed to prevent the wildfire. He also filed a lawsuit against the city and used social media to push back against denser housing proposals, the AP reported.
Pratt sought to show progress toward candidacy by posting on X a photo that appeared to show him completing paperwork required to run in the 2026 mayoral election, with the caption “It’s official.” The AP reported, however, that the filing could not be immediately confirmed with the city Ethics Commission.
Officials connected to California Republicans said they had been trying to reach Pratt. The California Republican Party had not had contact with him regarding his candidacy, but spokesman Matt Shupe said the party was attempting to reach Pratt, the AP reported. Pratt did not respond to a text message seeking comment, according to the same report.
As a Republican candidate in heavily Democratic Los Angeles, Pratt’s entry would put him in a field that currently includes Bass, who is seeking a second four-year term, and other candidates such as Austin Beutner, a former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, and community organizer Rae Huang. Candidates can continue to enter the race through early next month, and the primary is scheduled for June.
Pratt’s candidacy also drew public support online from prominent Republicans. The AP reported that the announcement was endorsed by Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor, and by Richard Grenell, an ally of President Donald Trump, who wrote on X that “Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles.”