Spencer Pratt's Mayor Loss Opens New Political Door

When Spencer Pratt’s Los Angeles mayoral campaign fell short last week, it looked like the end of the road for his unexpected foray into electoral politics. But California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton has other ideas—and they might just keep the reality star in the political conversation.

On Thursday, June 11, during a Fox News appearance, the 56-year-old Hilton made it clear he’d welcome Pratt into his administration if elected.“I would be honored to have him in any kind of role,”Hilton said, suggesting the former Hills star could focus specifically on disaster recovery efforts tied to the 2025 Palisades Fire, an issue that became central to Pratt’s mayoral pitch after his home burned down.

Pratt’s path to this potential opportunity was paved with surprises. Running for Los Angeles mayor on the same June 2 ballot where Hilton competed in the gubernatorial primary, both candidates shared an endorsement from President Donald Trump. But while Hilton advanced to face Democratic candidate Xavier Becerra in a November runoff—California’s top-two primary system guarantees a runoff when no candidate clears 50 percent—Pratt’s bid stalled. Despite an energetic campaign fueled by provocative memes and combative messaging, he finished third with 25.52 percent of the vote, behind incumbent Karen Bass (34.30 percent) and L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman (29 percent).

The loss has been notably quiet for Pratt since election officials called the race for Raman on Monday, June 8. After initially urging supporters not to lose hope when mail-in ballots showed him slipping behind, he shifted to more cryptic posts—including a sitting duck image on Tuesday and a pointed response to Jimmy Kimmel’s U-haul joke with footage of his fire-damaged home. Hilton’s overture suggests there’s life in the political project yet, even if it’s not the mayoral life Pratt envisioned.

What makes Hilton’s offer intriguing isn’t just the second-act opportunity. It’s a tacit critique of California’s top-two system itself. Hilton openly called the electoral rules“a travesty,”arguing they limited the potential for change in Los Angeles while his own campaign benefited from statewide momentum. That’s a sharp observation from a candidate still running, and it positions Pratt—who spent months making noise about fire recovery and city problems—as someone worth keeping around, even in defeat.