India, Jan. 8 -- Los Angeles politics is heading into unfamiliar territory as grief from one of the city's deadliest wildfires turns into a campaign issue. Spencer Pratt, a reality television star whose Pacific Palisades home was destroyed in last year's catastrophic blaze, has announced that he will run for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2026, saying the disaster exposed deep failures in leadership that he can no longer ignore.

Pratt unveiled his decision on January 7, marking one year since the wildfire killed 12 people and wiped out more than 6,000 homes and buildings.

Speaking before residents who lost everything, he framed his entry into the race as a response to what he called official neglect before and after the fire- and a refusal to ...