Last month, former reality-television star Spencer Pratt announced he would run for mayor of Los Angeles—exactly one year after a huge fire ripped through the Pacific Palisades, killing 12 and incinerating nearly 7,000 structures.
That included the home Pratt shared with his wife, fellow television star Heidi Montag, and their two kids, ages 8 and 3.
So far, Pratt’s entry into the race has elicited mostly smirks: He’s an unfiltered, untested, totally unpolished Republican running in one of the most progressive cities in the country, and even though Democratic mayor Karen Bass is unpopular, she has managed to scare away serious potential challengers like developer Rick Caruso. (I recently profiled Caruso for The Free Press.)
And yet.
That might—just might—work in the June 2 “jungle primary.” (In California, the top two vote-getters in the primary, irrespective of party, proceed to the general election.)
Pratt has a huge following, including more than a million followers on Instagram. And he has a certain charisma. And he’s fueled by a righteous indignation that many Angelenos, astounded by Bass’s mishandling of the fires, no doubt share.
Most importantly, Pratt has learned the most important lesson of the Age of Trump—which has somehow eluded most every Democratic officeholder everywhere, including Bass—which is that authenticity is everything.
Recently, I spoke with Pratt while he was having lunch with his family at a Mexican restaurant. He was as expected: crass, funny, informed—and alleged that Nithya Raman, the progressive LA city council member who just jumped in the mayoral race, is secretly colluding with Bass to ensure that Pratt doesn’t make the primary cutoff. He was also a little miffed that a bird had picked over his carne asada tacos while he was speaking with me.
