Reality television personality Spencer Pratt, once a villain on The Hills blamed for spreading rumors and causing rifts, is now campaigning for Mayor of Los Angeles.

Pratt casts himself as a hero in his latest venture, promising to rid the nation's second-most populous city of disorder and dysfunction.

Initially met with bemusement, the Republican candidate is now upending the race as early voting proceeds ahead of the June 2 election.

Pratt's campaign is riding a wave of buzz, fueled by viral videos targeting incumbent Mayor Karen Bass , Governor Gavin Newsom and other prominent figures.

He first rose to prominence in 2007 as Heidi Montag's boyfriend on The Hills (Charley Gallay/Getty Images)

Pratt's goal is to turn the chatter into a ticket to a November runoff against Bass, a Democrat who is struggling to recover from a widely panned response to devastating wildfires last year.

He would face long odds in a city that last elected a Republican mayor in 1997.…