Reality Star And Bass Critic Announces Bid For LA Mayor

LOS ANGELES, CA — Reality star Spencer Pratt, who emerged as a sharp critic of Mayor Karen Bass after losing his home in the Palisades Fire, announced on Wednesday that he is running for mayor.

Pratt — who starred on MTV's "The Hills" with now-wife Heidi Montag — made his announcement at a Pacific Palisades rally dubbed "They Let Us Burn," which marked the one-year anniversary of the wildfire.

Speaking at the event, Pratt reiterated his criticisms around the response to the wildfires by Bass, Gov. Gavin Newsom and other officials.

"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," he 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.

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Quickly after the Palisades Fire, Pratt positioned himself as a major critic of the government's preparation and response to the blaze. He and Montag last January filed a lawsuit against the city for what they claimed were failures in water management that made it hard for firefighters to battle the destructive blaze.

Pratt has launched a campaign website that identifies him as a Palisades resident and "Karen Bass' worst nightmare."

His Instagram account indicates it's being used for campaign purposes. His Stories on the platform Wednesday included posts questioning charity activity around the January wildfires, accusing city officials of a covering up the post-fire report, and suggesting that Bass "hands out pipes for free."

Former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent Austin Beutner and community organizer Rae Huang are among those who have also announced their candidacy against Bass, who is seeking reelection to a second term.

The primary is in June and the general election is in November.

City News Service contributed to this report.