Spencer Pratt and wife Heidi Montag flee LA for a meal after he claimed fire at business was set by enemies

Spencer Pratt appeared to have made a quick retreat from Los Angeles after his bruising loss in the city's mayoral primary when he was spotted grabbing a bite late last week.

The 42-year-old former mayoral candidate was pictured with his wife Heidi Montag, 39, in Carpinteria in Santa Barbara County, about an hour and a half's drive from Downtown Los Angeles, on Thursday.

The two reality stars were spotted leaving Delgado's Mexican restaurant shortly after he mocked the two top vote-getters in LA's mayoral primary, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass and her challenger to the left, City Councilmember Nithya Raman.

Pratt had challenged Bass's leadership by harping on Los Angeles's homeless population and fears about crime rates – which have reached historic lows in recent years, according to the Los Angeles Times – after he slammed her for an alleged poor response to last year's LA Fires that destroyed his home.

The sighting also came just days before a fire broke out at Pratt's crystal business in LA, which he claimed was due to arson at the hands of his political enemies.

The failed mayoral candidate stayed under the radar for his trip out of LA in a black graphic T-shirt and tan shorts, along with a navy baseball cap and chunky black sunglasses. 

Montag looked similarly casual in a gray sweater with navy stripes and flared jeans. 

She covered up her long blond hair with a pale peach-colored Louis Vuitton baseball cap, and she also donned sunglasses. 

Her husband's eyes were glued to his phone as they headed out of the restaurant. 

Last week, Pratt claimed to have obtained secret recordings of the more successful Los Angeles mayoral hopefuls, which he said could force them to 'resign in disgrace' if released.

The reality TV star made the allegations in a blistering rant on social media that he posted four days after he was booted from the race. 

Pratt pledged to go to 'war' with the remaining candidates, incumbent Mayor Bass and progressive Raman, as he vaguely claimed that his loss was the result of 'the machine protecting the machine.'

Vowing that he would still 'stop' Bass and Raman, Pratt claimed to have 'some recordings of one of your exalted candidates doing and saying something that would make her resign in shame.'

'Karen, Nithya, ask yourselves,' he said. 'Is it possible that one of your employees may have a recording of you doing or saying something that would force you to resign in disgrace?

The intense, three-minute video on Friday saw Pratt admit that his campaign is 'coming to a close' but insist he is moving on to a 'more interesting phase.'

'Angelenos are now stuck with two morons responsible for all their problems, and they have to choose between dumb and dumber,' Pratt said.

'Now, every problem that plagues Los Angeles, because of these two corrupt communists, is going to accelerate, and the city will tumble headlong into the abyss.'

The former TV star appeared to suggest that federal authorities were 'coming' after Bass and Raman, though he offered no evidence for that.

'I want all of you awake at night sweating and worried about 5 a.m., when the FBI blazers bust in the door, breaking open your office,' Pratt said.

'Because I assure you, they're coming,' he added.

Pratt did not provide any specifics about the supposed recordings, or how they came to exist, including if his opponents knew they were being recorded. 

However, he added: 'If you think we uncovered a lot of fraud and evil in the campaign, just wait.'

Pratt spelled out a grim doomsday 'zero hour' prediction for Los Angeles under the leadership of Raman or Bass.

'You have no idea how bad things are about to get for this city,' he added.

Pratt, until now best known for his role in The Hills, claimed that developers, hoteliers, business owners and entrepreneurs had gotten in touch with him to say that they're 'packing up and leaving town.'

He predicted that would mean less tax revenue, which in turn would force Los Angeles to cut its services.

'More potholes, less firefighters, less police patrols, more criminals, more drug addicts terrorizing your communities,' Pratt alleged. 

He vowed that he would continue 'lighting up' Bass and Raman 'every single day' without restrictions.

'You think you can get rid of me that easily?' Pratt cracked.

The mayoral hopeful also forcefully shot down the idea that he would leave Los Angeles after the election – a day after he was spotted two counties over – as he blasted LA's liberal voters.

'I know a lot of dimwitted jerks thought I was in this for a grift, that I was gonna roll up and leave town if I didn't get into City Hall,' Pratt said.

'Hey, morons, I didn't get in this for political power,' he continued. 'I got in this to expose this corrupt machine, and nothing has changed. '

The Associated Press determined that Raman had advanced to the November runoff against Bass on Monday night.

That eliminated Pratt, who appeared to concede despite vowing to stay involved in California politics through the November runoff.

Raman gradually pulled ahead of Pratt as additional mail–in ballots in the nonpartisan mayoral race were processed that favored Raman over him.

Los Angeles, like other California counties, processes and counts mail ballots in roughly the order they are received.

That means that the last ballots returned are the last ones counted by authorities. 

Ballots are counted in the West Coast state if they are postmarked by Election Day and arrive at an election office within seven days.

Pratt previously suggested that the number of votes Raman got to catch up to him matched the number of homeless people in LA, though he didn't provide any evidence that homeless people had played a decisive role in Raman beating him.

'A net swing of more than 43,000 votes since Tuesday..' 43,000, huh?' Pratt wrote Sunday on X.

'Where have I seen that number before? Probably nothing,' he wrote, quoting an article that said there were 43,699 people who experience homelessness in the city.

Bill Essayli, the First Assistant US Attorney for the Central District of California, said on June 5 on X that his office had 'multiple election fraud investigations underway' in coordination with the FBI's Los Angeles field office.

The Daily Mail has reached out to Pratt, Raman's campaign and Bass' campaign and spokesperson for comment.