Spencer Pratt Is Running for Mayor of Los Angeles – And He Actually Has a Shot
What started as a punchline has become one of the most fascinating political stories in America. Spencer Pratt, the reality TV villain who made his name scheming on MTV’s The Hills, just finished second in the Los Angeles mayoral primary – and is now the most likely opponent to face incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in the November general election. So how did we get here, and can he actually win?
Under Los Angeles election rules, if no candidate clears 50% in the primary, the top two finishers advance to a November runoff. No one came close to 50%, meaning Bass is all but certain to face Pratt head-to-head on November 3. Political science professor Dr. Fernando Guerra of Loyola Marymount University assessed that while Raman could theoretically catch up as remaining ballots are counted, it is not practically likely given the current patterns.
The most fundamental challenge is math. Registered Democrats outnumber Republicans in Los Angeles by roughly four to one, and while the mayoral race is officially nonpartisan, Pratt is a registered Republican. He has insisted he will not change his registration, arguing the race has no party labels and he will work with anyone.
Whether The Hills alum can make the leap from insurgent primary performer to actual mayor of America’s second-largest city is one of the stranger political questions of 2026. But at this point, nobody is laughing it off.
*The Los Angeles mayoral general election is scheduled for November 3, 2026.*