Former reality TV star Spencer Pratt has opened up about his decision to run for mayor of Los Angeles, revealing that he reluctantly turned to politics after losing his home in the deadly Palisades wildfire a year ago.
“I never wanted to be mayor,” Pratt said during an interview with “Fox & Friends” on Wednesday. “I don’t want to be in politics. I want to be back in my house with my family.”
“The Hills” alum, who is married to his former co-star Heidi Montag, has emerged as a vocal critic of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, accusing them of mismanaging the local and state responses to the 2025 wildfires that killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures, majority of them homes.
“These people in charge should have resigned January 7, January 8, and I was waiting for somebody to step up and go after these people and nobody did, so I was like, ‘OK, well, it’s my job to do that,'” Pratt said.
Pratt, a Republican, first revealed his mayoral ambitions during an event called “They Let Us Burn!” that was held in L.A. in early January to commemorate the first anniversary of the wildfires.
The launch of his political campaign also coincides with the release of his new tell-all book, titled “The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain,” which was released Tuesday.
The TV personality turned author, however, strongly pushed back against his critics, including Bass’ camp, which claimed he’s only announced his mayoral run to promote his book.
“The book has nothing to do with the journey [Bass] put me on by letting my house burn down,” Pratt told “Fox & Friends” hosts.
He also rejected the notion that he is a single-issue candidate solely concerned about his celebrity-studded community of Pacific Palisades.
“What everyone in Los Angeles should be concerned about is these city leaders are fine with letting people burn alive, covering it up,” said Pratt, adding that he is also alarmed by quality-of-life issues affecting parts of L.A., including homelessness and drug use.
“Anybody that drives around the streets of L.A. … we’re in the darkest times ever,” he said.
Turning his attention back to post-fire recovery, Pratt criticized Newsom for touting the number of rebuilding permits that have been issued so far, stressing that it does not represent complete rebuilds.
As of Wednesday, more than 1,660 rebuilding permits have been issued by the city of Los Angeles in and around Pacific Palisades, but only two homes have been fully rebuilt—one of them a “showcase home” erected by a developer.
Pratt noted that the city’s permit count includes minor modifications and additions to existing properties.
Asked how he would speed up the permitting process if elected mayor, Pratt did not provide a concrete answer, instead saying that he would prioritize truth and honesty as “the first step.”
Pratt’s mayoral candidacy, widely viewed as a long shot in deep-blue L.A., was endorsed by Steve Hilton, a Republican candidate for governor, and Richard Grenell, a supporter of President Donald Trump. Grenell wrote on X that “Spencer has the passion and the drive to make positive change for Los Angeles,” reported the Associated Press.
Besides Pratt, the mayoral field currently includes Bass, who is running for reelection; Austin Beutner, a former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District; and community organizer Rae Huang.