Spencer Pratt, the Republican candidate few expected to gain serious traction in Los Angeles’ mayoral race, is seeing his support grow nationwide, and that moment is carrying his ‘common sense’ message all the way to the East Cost.
The latest sign, literally, came out of La Grange, Georgia, where resident Brandon Johns shelled out $400 of his own money for a roadside billboard declaring: “Even Georgia knows LA needs Spencer Pratt for mayor.”
The billboard went up Friday, and almost instantly went viral on TikTok, giving Pratt’s already-online-fueled campaign another jolt of attention far outside California.
Johns, a self-made business owner, said the idea hit him while driving and he wasted no time making it happen, catching even Pratt off guard.
“I actually just did it today,” Johns told The California Post. “I was driving down the road and I thought ‘oh this would be a great idea.’”
Johns said the billboard was meant to capture the growing buzz around Pratt well beyond LA.
“I really wanted to surprise him and express what people all over the country are feeling,” he said. “Even though we can’t vote, we’re all rallying behind him.”
Johns said he first connected with Pratt roughly five years ago through TikTok and later visited Pratt and his family following last year’s Palisades fires.
He described Pratt as “a great guy” and “truly amazing.”
The Georgia native also livestreamed the recent Los Angeles mayoral debate on TikTok, where he said nearly 15k viewers tuned in as interest surrounding Pratt surged online.
“It went crazy,” Johns said.
He added that he never sought approval before putting up the sign, pointing to free speech protections and noting he paid for the billboard himself.
As his campaign continues gaining steam online, Pratt has leaned heavily into his political outsider image, arguing that a lack of traditional government experience shouldn’t disqualify him from leading LA.
In a CBS interview released Thursday, Pratt pointed to former President Barack Obama as an example of a leader who rose to the highest office despite critics questioning his experience.
“He had no experience running the whole entire country, which is way bigger than LA.”
Pratt has also framed his campaign less as a partisan movement and more as a reaction to what he says are years of failed leadership in LA.
“My message isn’t political. It’s common sense,” he said.
He added that his decision to run was fueled by frustration over the direction of the city and concern for his family’s future.
“I’m standing in what happened because of failed politicians,” Pratt said. “I had to step up so that my sons one day can… come back here and live in the LA that I lived in — beautiful, safe.”
Johns says the billboard will stay up for at least a week but told The Post he plans to extend it to a full month.
The Post contacted Pratt’s office for comment.