A.I. videos boost Spencer Pratt’s Los Angeles mayoral bid

Viral AI videos have propelled Spencer Pratt into the center of Los Angeles’ mayoral race, but the hard question is whether a flood of attention on X can translate into ballots. Pratt, the former MTV star, is running a long-shot campaign in a city where voters are weighing homelessness, affordability, public safety and recovery from the Palisades Fire, and the AI content surrounding his bid is being watched as a possible preview of how political messaging may evolve in future elections.

The contest is moving on a tight calendar. The nonpartisan primary is set for June 2, 2026, with a runoff on November 3, 2026 if no candidate wins a majority. The last day to register for the June primary was May 18, and county elections officials began mailing ballots on May 4. That makes the sprint to Election Day especially important in a race where attention has outpaced certainty and undecided voters remain plentiful.

Pratt launched his campaign in January after he and his wife, Heidi Montag, lost their home in the Palisades Fire. He has framed the bid around anger over the city’s response to that fire and what he calls failed leadership in Los Angeles. His online push has included an AI-generated superhero video created by filmmaker Charles Curran, along with an earlier ad that reportedly drew more than 6 million views on X. The superhero-themed clip has been viewed more than 10 million times.

The content has also become a political flashpoint. One AI-generated video mocked former Vice President Kamala Harris, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, and Pratt’s campaign said it did not make the ad. The campaign argued that fans around the world were producing tribute videos because Pratt is popular. Bass’s campaign denied involvement in any AI videos and criticized Pratt’s ad strategy. Nithya Raman, another candidate in the race, called one filming episode outside her home a political stunt and said it felt unnecessary and reckless.

That friction underscores the larger stakes in Los Angeles. Supporters see the AI videos as proof that a celebrity-driven candidacy can still cut through the noise, while skeptics see a race where internet virality can easily outrun electoral substance. With Bass, Pratt and Raman emerging as the main figures in an unusually unsettled contest, the campaign is already serving as a test case for whether artificial intelligence can do more than generate clicks in local politics.