Spencer Pratt Refuses the Political Label: Just An Angry Angeleno

Reality TV star turned mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt isn’t interested in your political boxes. On Saturday, May 23, the 42-year-old fired back at attempts to pin him down as either a Republican or Democrat ahead of Los Angeles’s June 2 primary election, insisting he’s running as an independent community advocate motivated by genuine frustration with the city’s leadership—not partisan loyalty.

The distinction matters, even if Pratt himself registered as a Republican back in 2020. In his X post, Pratt stripped away the labels:“There’s no R next to my name, there’s no D next to my name. I’m not part of a political party, because I hate politicians.”His reasoning? He’s“just Spencer, husband to Heidi [Montag], father to Ryker and Gunner, and I’m a pissed off Angeleno who loves my city and is fed up with what corrupt politicians have done to her.”

So what drove him toward Republican support in the first place? According to an earlier interview with CNN’s Elex Michaelson, Pratt explained that his alignment stemmed from personal security needs. When he and his wife faced death threats during his time as a hated reality star, he sought a Concealed Carry Weapon license to protect his family.“The only people that supported [those licenses] was the Republicans,”he said. Gun rights, not ideology, was the bridge that connected him to the GOP—a pragmatic choice rooted in fear and family safety rather than any deeper political philosophy.

That explanation hasn’t stopped his mayoral opponents from painting him otherwise. Both L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and City Councilwoman Nithya Raman have branded Pratt a“MAGA Republican”in campaign attack ads. Even President Donald Trump weighed in at a White House press conference on May 20, saying he’d“like to see him do well”and noting,“I heard he’s a big MAGA person. He’s doing well.”

The broader picture reveals a candidate caught in an identity paradox. Pratt has won endorsements from celebrities including Meghan McCain, Kristin Cavallari, and Jax Taylor—yet he’s also facing withering criticism for his political inexperience. Game show host Drew Carey didn’t hold back on May 22, writing via Threads:“Anyone who votes for, or endorses Spencer Prattfall for Mayor of LA needs to get their head out of their ass. I understand being angry/unsatisfied, but at least get behind someone competent and not some serial scammer without a soul or moral compass.”

As of now, polling puts Pratt trailing Mayor Bass. If no candidate wins a majority on June 2, the top two vote-getters will advance to a November 3 runoff, regardless of party affiliation. Whether Pratt’s message of outsider frustration resonates with voters remains to be seen—but his refusal to wear a partisan label is itself a statement in a city desperate for something different.