A veteran Hollywood actor has stepped into the political arena, lending his name to an underdog mayoral campaign that is rapidly closing the gap on a sitting mayor battered by scandal and disaster.
Dennis Quaid, 72, publicly declared his support for Spencer Pratt’s bid to unseat Democratic Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ahead of the city’s June 2 primary election.
Quaid made the declaration at the 2nd Annual Military & Veteran Entertainment Awards Gala on Saturday, an event honoring the contributions of military personnel, veterans, and entertainment professionals who carry on their legacy.
The actor walked away from the evening with the 2026 Patriot Ally Award in hand — and left reporters with a quote that has since ricocheted across social media.
When Fox News Digital pressed Quaid on why he was backing Pratt, the actor flashed a confident smile and fired back: “Why? What are you talking about? Why? Just look around, man.”
Quaid is widely recognized for his decades-long career in Hollywood, which includes starring in the 2024 presidential biopic “Reagan.”
The actor has personal stakes in the outcome of the Los Angeles mayoral race. Quaid was among the residents forced to evacuate their homes during the catastrophic 2025 Palisades Fire.
He subsequently became one of the most outspoken Hollywood voices against Bass, publicly condemning her decision to travel to Ghana as fierce windstorms swept through the region and accelerated the deadly blazes.
Pratt, 42, entered the race in January 2026, announcing his candidacy as a registered Republican running under an independent banner.
He is best known to many Americans as a cast member on the reality television series “The Hills,” but has since built a business career and established himself as a sharp critic of Los Angeles’s current political leadership.
The fires made the decision personal. Pratt’s campaign website states that “the devastating 2025 Palisades fires that destroyed his family home” drove him into the race.
A statement attributed to Pratt on the site reads: “I’m not a politician. I’m a husband and father who watched my home burn because the system failed us. We don’t need more government programs. We need common sense, accountability, and a Mayor that shows up for everyone.”
Pratt’s coalition of backers has expanded well beyond Quaid. Podcast giant Joe Rogan, actor James Woods, and comedian Adam Carolla have all publicly thrown their support behind the challenger’s campaign.
President Donald Trump weighed in on the contest earlier this month, offering words of encouragement for Pratt.
“I’d like to see him do well, he’s a character,” Trump told Los Angeles Magazine. The president also added, “I assume he probably supports me. I hear he does. I heard he’s a big MAGA person. He’s doing well.”
Trump and Bass have repeatedly clashed over immigration enforcement and a range of other policy disputes throughout her time in office.
Bass has not stood by passively as endorsements stack up against her. The incumbent mayor scored a celebrity backing of her own Thursday, announcing that Marvel actor Samuel L. Jackson had joined her reelection effort.
“Honored to have the endorsement of my dear friend, @SamuelLJackson,” Bass wrote on X. “Sam has always shown up for the people and causes he believes in – and I am grateful he is showing up for Los Angeles. We’re aligned on the change I’m working to bring to L.A.”
Bass outlined her second-term agenda in the same post, writing: “That means getting more people off the streets into housing and connected with comprehensive services. It means more affordable housing units being built. And it means continuing to lower crime down to historic lows.”
Jackson described the mayor as someone who “will go in the streets and gather the people together, not someone who will divide them.”
Despite the star power in Bass’s corner, the latest data suggests she has a fight on her hands.
A UC Berkeley–Los Angeles Times poll shows Bass leading among likely voters at 26 percent, with City Councilmember Nithya Raman directly on her heels at 25 percent and Pratt at 22 percent, according to CNBC.
Pratt and Raman have each gained eight percentage points since March, according to the same survey, turning what was once a presumed incumbency advantage into a genuine three-way toss-up. Should no candidate capture a majority on June 2, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff.
