Spencer Pratt on Campaign Life, Secret Celeb Supporters and 'Fighting Evil'

Twenty years after becoming reality TV's most infamous antagonist on The Hills, Spencer Pratt has entered perhaps his most unexpected era yet: a respected political candidate. (Yes, really!) The 42-year-old TV personality turned crystal entrepreneur and hummingbird enthusiast is currently running for mayor of Los Angeles, steadily surging in the polls. His campaign videos rack up millions of views. Celebrities and CEOs are backing him. Fire victims stop him to hug him. Fans are making AI-generated Batman edits portraying Pratt as the city's unlikely savior. Even people firmly against the idea of a man whose elaborately staged paparazzi photos once dominated this very magazine running a city can't seem to look away.

What initially seemed like another internet-fueled celebrity stunt has evolved into something far more culturally revealing: a reflection of L.A.'s frustration, exhaustion and appetite for an outsider. During a May 6 debate with incumbent mayor Karen Bass and fellow candidate Nithya Raman, an NBC4LA online poll found that 89 percent of respondents believed Pratt won the night. On May 20, none other than fellow reality TV veteran PresidentDonald Trump praised Pratt, telling reporters, "I'd like to see him do well. He's a character." (Pratt, Bass and Raman will face off in a June 2 primary; the two winners will advance to a November 3 election.)

Despite his lack of political experience, Pratt - who shares sons Gunnar, 8, and Ryker, 3, with wife Heidi Montag, 39 - has emerged as the race's unlikely dark horse. His platform is focused on law and order, tackling L.A.'s unhoused and drug-addicted populations and wildfire recovery efforts - the very issue that spurred his mayoral run after he and his parents lost their Pacific Palisades homes in the January 2025 wildfires. He has criticized Bass' response to the disaster; she has accused him of exploiting people's grief.

Over the last few weeks, his campaign has gained momentum and attracted donations and support from entertainment heavyweights, including record exec Lucian Grainge, L.A. Lakers CEO Jeanie Buss and film producer Brian Grazer. Celebrities like Paris Hilton, Big Sean and Jenny McCarthy have been hyping him up on social media, and David Foster and Katharine McPhee hosted a lavish fundraiser at their home in mid-May. "We are part of the exhausted majority that is begging for a clean and safe city for all Angelenos," Foster and McPhee tell Us Weekly. "We believe Spencer is the right man for the right job at the right time."

Why would you make a good mayor?

What people want from me is somebody to tell them the truth. I [know] what it feels like when you're the victim of the city's failures - whether your house burned down or you were attacked or robbed, or you lost your job because restaurants have closed and Hollywood has failed or you've stepped on human poop and there's a crazy, naked drug addict in front of your kids at the park. I'm not going to let this happen anymore.

You don't have government experience. Why do you think you can still succeed?

Here in L.A., yeah, the government experience we're living under is an actual living nightmare. Their experience literally burns down 7,000 houses, burns people alive and gives 70,000 drug addicts needles and pipes and tourniquets, and lets them OD on the street. Anybody that's voting for me already lives under their failures of government experience.

You were a political science major in college. Do you have any other qualifications?

My No. 1 qualification is I'm not corrupt. I have humility in that I know that I've never run a city, so I'm going to put a team around me of the smartest, most talented people. We need to bring in people who aren't just bureaucratic city-entrenched people. We need people from the private sector who are running major corporations with bigger budgets to advise and help us become a more profitable city. My biggest skill is being an actual outsider.

How so?

The main [reason my candidacy] is surging is that I'm just [using] common sense. As mayor, I will make sure we enforce the laws that exist - I don't need experience to say to my new police chief, "We're enforcing the laws now." That's why people are voting for me.

What's been the most challenging aspect of this?

Not seeing my kids. I was a really hands-on dad. Heidi and I would take them to school in the morning and pick them up [and go to] soccer practices and games. Not being with them anymore has been difficult.

How do you explain to your kids what you're doing?

I keep telling them I want to save [human] lives and animal lives, and that as mayor, I'll be able to make it so people don't die on the streets and dogs aren't being abused. I keep it very real with them, saying, "Your dad's trying to make it so people's houses don't burn down."

Have you gotten any advice or guidance from anyone as you campaign?

I've definitely been praying the most I've prayed in my whole life to stay locked in with the Holy Spirit. I called my lawyer, who's representing all the fire victims before the debate, and said, "How do you stay calm when you're dealing with liars?" And he said, "Spencer, I always [remember] I have the truth on my side."

How does the rest of your family feel about this undertaking?

My mom and dad are still struggling; they've lost everything, so they're just keeping it together. My sister [Stephanie] goes back and forth, and I obviously pray for her. [In February, Stephanie spoke out against Pratt's mayoral campaign on X, writing in part, "He doesn't belong in the government."] My older sister [Kristin] is very supportive. Family will always be family [with] ups and downs. I'm doing this for my own soul and spirit.

What does Heidi's support look like on a day-to-day basis?

She's an angel superhero. She's working hard, putting out new music and paying for our kids' food and being the woman boss who pays the bills while also being the full-time mom and prayer warrior.

Has she given you pushback on any of your messaging?

No… [But] she doesn't like people being able to spread lies [or take] things out of context, so she's very defensive on my behalf.

What would she be like as First Lady?

I don't see her coming to L.A. much because the kids had to get into a new school, and she's not going to want to take them out. She may pop up every now and again for something, but again, she pays our bills right now that I'm a public servant. I'm going to really just be in these trenches fighting these corrupt city council members, and whoever I have to, to just make sure everyone's safe.

How do you relax with everything going on?

My favorite pleasure is clapping back on X with the truth. I get such dopamine from it. Heidi suggested that I put my phone down an hour before bed, but I told her that's not possible.

For more on Spencer Pratt, watch the exclusive video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly - on newsstands now.

Copyright 2026 Us Weekly. All rights reserved

This story was originally published May 27, 2026 at 8:00 AM.