WASHINGTON (TNND) — Early 2000s’ reality tv show star Spencer Pratt announced that he is running for mayor of Los Angeles at a rally which marked the one-year anniversary of the Palisades fire.
Pratt, who lost his $2.5 million home in the Palisades fire, has been a prominent voice speaking out against Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s handling of the fires in Palisades, which killed 12 people and destroyed more than 6,000 buildings.
During his speech at the “They Let Us Burn” rally held by the Palisades Fire Residents Coalition on Wednesday, Pratt shared that he was prompted to run for mayor because of the continued impact of the fires.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor,” Pratt said.
“But let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign — this is a mission, and we are going to expose the system. We are going into every dark corner of L.A. politics and disinfecting the city with our light.”
“L.A. is going to be camera-ready again,” he continued.
Pratt is a plaintiff in a lawsuit suing the city and state for failing to have the proper infrastructure in place to sufficiently combat the fires. The plaintiffs alleged that the fire hydrants failed to work because of low water pressure attributed to a local reservoir being emptied for repairs.
He also played a pivotal role in influencing two Republican U.S. senators to launch an investigation into the fires last fall.
At the time the Palisades fire broke out, Bass was in Ghana on a diplomatic mission, which caused a dip in her approval ratings in the city.
A campaign spokesperson for Bass’ campaign dismissed Pratt’s mayoral campaign, alleging it may be a publicity stunt ahead of his upcoming book release.
“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,” Doug Herman, Bass’ spokesperson said.
Pratt, who got his start as a cast member on “The Hills,” is set to have his memoir “The Guy You Loved to Hate” released this month.
Other contenders in the mayor race include Austin Beutner, a former school superintendent who also had his home destroyed in the fires, and Rae Huang, a progressive community organizer.