'Only Murders in the Building' Actor and a Reality Star Are Running for Mayor of 2 Major US Cities

Talk about New Year’s resolutions. Two big TV personalities are starting 2026 off not by declaring they will work out more at the gym or spend less money on frivolous things, but by declaring they’re entering the political arena. While it’s not unusual for Hollywood to abandon their entertainment roots for public service, it’s not always common to see such bold announcements made at the very beginning of a new year. And in the case of a certain longtime actor, who has starred in shows like Atypical, Life & Beth, andOnly Murders in the Building, he announced his political bid for a position that just saw its new elected official sworn into office. 

Michael Rapaport Is Running for Mayor of New York City

After a hard-fought campaign, Zohran Mamdani was officially sworn into office on January 1, 2026. Coincidentally, on the same day, Michael Rapaport took to social media to announce he’s running for the mayoral office in 2029, while taking potshots at Mamdani.

As seen in the clip below, Rapaport touts the fact that he was born and raised in the Big Apple and aims to "make New York City safe, affordable, and thriving." But he cautions that his vision is not rooted in making things "free." Additionally, he promises to be a politician who owns up to his mistakes. While he doesn’t provide many more details about his campaign, he emphasizes that his candidacy is happening (although he does appear to crack the occasional joke in the video). 

Spencer Pratt Is Running for Mayor of Los Angeles

He may have waited a few more days than Rapaport, but on January 7th, while on stage at the They Let Us Burn rally in Pacific Palisades, Spencer Pratt announced his mayoral candidacy for Los Angeles. He’s been a staunch critic of the current mayor, Karen Bass, and her response to the wildfires that caused billions of dollars in damage to the city in 2025. Rapaport is so serious about his candidacy that he’s even launched his campaign website. 

Now, unlike Rapaport, there is more of an urgency surrounding the political bid for The Hills’ alum. The Los Angeles mayoral election takes place on June 2, 2026, which only gives Prat a few months to mount a campaign formidable enough to compete with Bass, who is running for reelection. 

Some Famous Celebs Who Became Politicians 

Here are a few success stories of Hollywood jumping into politics. Do any of the following names surprise you?

• Oscar-winner Clint Eastwood was elected as mayor of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, in 1986.
• Saturday Night Live’s Al Franken served as a senator of Minnesota from 2009 to 2018.
• Ronald Reagan was an actor before serving as governor of California and president of the United States. 
• The Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was elected as the governor of California in 2003.
• Jerry Springer was elected to the Cincinnati City Council before briefly serving as mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio, from 1977 to 1978. 
• Donald Trump is currently serving his second term as president of the United States.

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