Why Is Spencer Pratt (Yes, That Spencer Pratt) Running for Office in Los Angeles?

Spencer Pratt is running for Mayor of Los Angeles for one reason only, to help entrench regressive policy in one of the biggest cities in America.

The former star of The Hills has become a big talking point for people outside of California as his mayoral campaign has brought eyeballs. While there’s no question that social media is a major factor in politics right now. I would argue Pratt’s candidacy really boils down to understanding these mediums well.

Current Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is basically a bog-standard political operative. There’s not a ton of dramatic updates or framing problems as Internet drama to be solved. And, because of that, it’s been tough sledding to figure out who will come out on top in this race.

By contrast, Pratt is a child of the Internet politics microcelebrity world we inhabit. It helps that he already had a measure of fame before all of this began. But, once he started bringing in the endorsements from mostly conservative celebrities, things began to coalesce into place. 

When you have Meghan McCain stumping for you on social media, there’s something metatextual afoot. Nithya Raman, a Los Angeles City Council and Karen Bass are the other two realistic competitors in this race.

The biggest plank of Pratt’s campaign focuses around him losing his house in the fires of 2025. But, that’s a massive source of controversy for everyone involved.

Spencer Pratt as a “serious” contender

Pratt’s entire strategy is social media trolling and appealing to people who feel overlooked by politics. Sometimes, that’s enough to get the job done. However, as with anyone who’s upset about rising costs and general inequality in this country knows, a fresh attitude isn’t enough to fix that!

According to OK Magazine, Pratt announced his intention to run for Mayor during a protest earlier this year. With the flames that claimed multiple homes in the Pacific Palisades as a backdrop, he argued against the “same old politics.” 

“The system in Los Angeles isn’t struggling, it’s fundamentally broken,” Pratt told the crowd. “It is a machine designed to protect the people at the top and the friends they exchange favors with while the rest of us drown in toxic smoke and ash.”

He added, “Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. And let me be clear, this just isn’t a campaign. This is a mission, and we’re gonna expose the system.”

That all sounds fine if you don’t think about how “anti-establishment types have fared in our national elections. Not to mention the kind of havoc when one of these political newcomers can unleash when placed into power. Fortunately, the choice is with the voters of Los Angeles. But, the fact we’re even talking about this man shows how little we’ve learned in a decade.

(featured image: Bravo)

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