The rise and fall of 'The Hills' star Spencer Pratt's improbable campaign for Los Angeles mayor

By — Michael R. Blood, Associated Press Michael R. Blood, Associated Press By — Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press Lindsey Bahr, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-hills-star-spencer-pratts-improbable-campaign-for-los-angeles-mayor Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter The rise and fall of 'The Hills' star Spencer Pratt's improbable campaign for Los Angeles mayor Politics Jun 9, 2026 12:33 PM EDT LOS ANGELES (AP) — He wrote a memoir called "The Guy You Loved to Hate." He's dabbled in rap, releasing a song called "I'm a Celebrity." He started a company selling crystals claimed to have healing properties. But Spencer Pratt was not able to pull off his latest venture — an improbable bid to become mayor of Los Angeles. The Associated Press determined Monday that the onetime reality television personality did not qualify for the November runoff to unseat embattled incumbent Karen Bass. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. Instead of Pratt, a Republican who received a nod of approval from President Donald Trump, Bass will face progressive Nithya Raman, a city council member who had challenged the Democratic mayor from the political left. Pratt's candidacy was fueled by celebrity — he starred on "The Hills," a show about young people in Los Angeles — and videos that supporters generated with artificial intelligence. But his campaign also reflected frustration that political leaders have been unable or unwilling to address chronic problems. Pratt had relentlessly focused on homelessness, crime and decay that's marred a city otherwise known for its culinary scene, postcard scenery and a global entertainment industry. "Enough is enough," Pratt often said on the campaign trail. Officials spent days tallying votes from the June 2 primary, typical in a state where slow counting has made the process a target for frustration and conspiracy theories. On Friday, Pratt posted photos of himself outside city hall with a single word — "Patience." No Republican has won a mayor's race in Los Angeles since 1997, and Pratt faced a steep climb as a first-time candidate. His political ambitions were forged by tragedy that added grit to his tabloid backstory. His house was one of thousands destroyed in last year's Palisades Fire, the most destructive in city history. "This is where I live," Pratt said in a campaign video while standing in front of a trailer parked on the ruins of his property. "They let my home burn down. I know what the consequences of failed leadership are." Never mind that Pratt didn't actually live in the trailer — TMZ later reported he was living with his wife and two young boys in the luxurious Hotel Bel-Air. His outrage mirrored broader dissatisfaction with Bass, a Democrat who was on a presidential delegation to Ghana when the blaze began and has faced