Spencer Pratt surges in LA mayor race, challenges Bass

Spencer Pratt, the reality-TV provocateur known from MTV’s “The Hills,” has turned a damaged-home story and a confrontational campaign style into real momentum in Los Angeles’ mayoral jungle primary—ranking second behind incumbent Karen Bass as of June 3. His

Spencer Pratt didn’t just walk into Los Angeles politics with a familiar smirk and a practiced sense of spectacle—he arrived after a wildfire erased part of his life and with a campaign ready to inflame attention the way reality TV always did.

By the afternoon of June 3, Pratt was ranking second behind incumbent Karen Bass in the city’s jungle primary. In the same vote range. his support looked similar to businessman Rick Caruso’s share from the 2022 runoff against Bass. when Caruso finished with about 36%—ultimately losing by nearly 10 points.

Pratt’s ascent comes from a background that helped him master conflict on camera. In the early aughts. he became one of “The Hills’” most notorious villains on MTV. catapulted to fame after teaming with his wife. Heidi Montag. to harass Montag’s then–best friend. Lauren Conrad. Conrad later became an ultra-private Kohl’s designer and a mother of two.

Two decades after “The Hills” premiered in 2006, Pratt’s mayor bid was announced after the Palisades wildfires ravaged Southern California, destroying his home. He announced his bid for Los Angeles mayor after the fires.

The pitch he’s built on is equal parts lived story and hard-edged criticism: he has cast the city’s leadership as inept. unable to deal with rising costs. drug usage and homelessness rates. Karen Bass. a former congresswoman. has faced heat over her handling of the Los Angeles fires—an issue now colliding with Pratt’s confrontational. conservative brand.

The timing of Bass’s pressure point has also landed in public view. While treacherous fire conditions brewed, she was reportedly on an international trip to Ghana.

Pratt’s rise has energized a segment of Republicans, with national attention extending beyond Los Angeles. Alex Burns, a Politico journalist, suggested Pratt may be the heir apparent to President Donald Trump. Pratt has support from former co-stars Kristin Cavallari and Brody Jenner—but not from Conrad.

Pratt’s campaign style has stayed true to his reality-TV roots: demanding attention, turning conflict into a storyline, and hitting at the personal level. Shortly after the announcement of his mayoral bid on Jan. 7, Pratt immediately slammed Bass, calling himself her “worst nightmare.”

He has also used the spotlight to keep moving in parallel tracks. Shortly after announcing his campaign. Pratt began promoting his personal memoir. “The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain. ” released Jan. 27. Like Trump, he has borrowed from popular culture to bolster his campaign. He is reportedly filming a show that follows him behind the scenes of the race against Bass.

That show-making instinct is paired with an aggressive media presence. After a report that he lived in the opulent Hotel Bel-Air, Pratt addressed the claim on TMZ by saying, “I have never told anyone I lived there.”

In late April, Pratt ran an ad titled “THEY NOT LIKE US,” a reference to Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar’s Grammy-winning song aimed at genre rival Drake, taking issue with Bass and Nithya Raman’s homes. In the ad, Pratt purports to live in an Airstream trailer.

His approach has not stopped at policy arguments or advertisements. During a mayoral debate in early May. he delighted Republicans by referring to Bass as an “incredible liar.” On Fox News’ “Gutfeld” last month. Pratt said he hated the incumbent mayor. saying. “These people let my house and my mom’s house burn down.”.

Even outside talk shows, Pratt’s campaign has relied on images that look built for feeds. On the night of the primary election, he posed in glossy paparazzi-style photos holding hands with Montag, captioning the photo, “LA is coming back.”

And the wildfire story—his personal one—has been central to the narrative he’s pushing. In a January 2025 Instagram post. Pratt was planted in front of the couple’s decimated home. wearing a T-shirt with the cover of Montag’s 2009 single “Body Language” on the front. In that post, he wrote, “Please stream any of @heidimontag music on any platforms it will make a huge difference!. Thank you,” using Montag’s 2010 single “Look How I’m Doin.”.

Montag’s 2009 song and 2010 album “Superficial” then hit No. 1 on iTunes, 15 years after their release.

It’s the combination—wildfire devastation, reality-TV tactics, and an unfiltered attack line—that has made Pratt’s bid feel different from a traditional campaign.

What stands out is the contrast between who he has chosen to energize and who has stayed out. He has support from Cavallari and Brody Jenner. but not Conrad. the most famous face from the “Hills” orbit who has been publicly distant. The same pattern also shows up in the public-facing campaign mechanics: Pratt’s team has not made him available for an interview. despite repeated outreach.

USA TODAY repeatedly contacted Pratt’s campaign requesting an interview, but Pratt’s team has yet to make him available for an interview.

Republican figures and national voices have noticed his momentum too. Even Trump has weighed in. During a press gaggle, Trump said, “I heard he’s a big MAGA person,” and added, “He’s doing well.”

Bass. for her part. is the incumbent—bringing the full weight of office into a race now infused with the spectacle Pratt is famous for. The coming months will show whether Pratt can turn his jungle-primary positioning into a mayoral win. or whether the shock factor that has rattled people during debates and interviews can survive the harder scrutiny that follows election day.

Spencer Pratt LA mayor race Karen Bass Heidi Montag Brody Jenner Kristin Cavallari Rick Caruso Palisades wildfires Los Angeles jungle primary MAGA reality TV politics