Spencer Pratt Defies Haters in Run for L.A. Mayor, Challenges Opposition

People have had a lot to say about Spencer Pratt running for mayor of Los Angeles ... but he told us he has literally nothing to lose!

We caught up with the reality TV star outside of CBS Studios in NYC Monday, as he continues his press tour to promote his book, "The Guy You Loved to Hate: Confessions from a Reality TV Villain." When asked if he's nervous about running for office, he gave a facetious response, saying, "What, are they gonna burn my house down again?"

Gotta say ... that's one of the best barbs a politician has come up with in a long time.

As we reported ... the 42-year-old announced his new mayoral bid earlier this month on the first anniversary of the Pacific Palisades wildfire, which destroyed more than 6,000 structures -- including the house Pratt shared with wife Heidi Montag and their two sons.

The tragedy launched Spencer on a crusade against California politicians, which had fans calling for him to run for office. While he's answered the call ... not everyone seems to think it's a good idea.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass' campaign strategist Douglas Herman told TMZ ... "It's no shock that in advance of his imminent book release, a reality TV 'villain' who once staged a fake divorce to boost ratings and spent the last summer spewing post-fire misinformation and disinformation to pump up his social media following, would now announce he's running for Mayor."

But Spencer told us he's got his hater-blockers on and doesn't "see those people" trashing his campaign ... "I only see people that are saying, 'Thank God Spencer's running for Mayor of L.A."