Spencer Pratt's Time In Santa Barbara County Likely Won't Affect His Bid For L.a. Mayor, Analysts Say

Living extracurricular nan organization they want to correspond tin beryllium a handicap for governmental candidates, but it’s not apt to beryllium a problem for Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Spencer Pratt, who until precocious was surviving successful Carpinteria, analysts say.

That’s because Pratt’s location burned successful nan January 2025 Palisades fire, making him a sympathetic fig among galore voters — particularly those surviving successful his Westside base, they say.

“I don’t deliberation this is going to beryllium electorally consequential,” said Zev Yaroslavsky, a erstwhile Los Angeles County supervisor and L.A. City Council personnel who now runs nan UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. “He’s a unfortunate of nan Palisades occurrence that doesn’t person a location to unrecorded successful because it burned down.”

Pratt revenge to tally for politician successful February and was successful second spot down Mayor Karen Bass successful a caller poll by nan Luskin school. He was certified by nan Los Angeles metropolis clerk connected March 2 arsenic 1 of 14 candidates successful nan June 2 superior election.

While immoderate observers person raised questions astir his eligibility, a state memorandum pursuing nan fires said that voters who were temporarily displaced from their homes tin usage their anterior reside arsenic their imperishable residence arsenic agelong arsenic they “intend to return” successful nan future.

Los Angeles mayoral campaigner Spencer Pratt presently resides successful a backstage organization successful Carpinteria, Calif.

(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)

Michael Sanchez, a spokesperson for nan Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk, said this besides applies to candidates.

“In situations wherever a campaigner has been temporarily displaced (such arsenic nan 2025 wildfires), their eligibility to tally for agency is not impacted, provided they support domicile successful their district,” Sanchez said successful a statement.

He explained that domicile is wished by a person’s superior residence and their intent to return to that residence. “Temporary relocation during rebuilding aliases betterment does not, by itself, alteration a person’s domicile.”

The Times asked nan L.A. metropolis clerk’s agency past week astir Pratt’s residency and eligibility.

“We cannot remark connected nan specifics of a candidate’s reside owed to confidentiality. Any matter concerning a candidate’s eligibility aliases residency, specified arsenic this situation, tin beryllium formally challenged done nan court,” said Josue Marcus, a spokesperson for nan metropolis clerk.

Any imaginable situation to Pratt’s eligibility based connected residency would move connected nan mobility of whether he had intent to return, said Jessica Levinson, a Loyola Marymount University rule professor. “Those are tricky inquiries because it depends connected someone’s authorities of mind,” she said.

Pratt and his run aides didn’t respond to requests for comment. Pratt released a video Monday, pursuing inquiries from The Times, defending his determination to move to Carpinteria but saying he now intends to unrecorded successful a trailer placed connected his burned-out batch successful Pacific Palisades.

The metropolis of Los Angeles sprawls crossed astir 500 quadrate miles, creating logistical hurdles if thing other for a campaigner seeking citywide agency from a distant location, noted Democratic governmental advisor Mike Trujillo.

“Anyone that has done nan thrust from San Pedro to Sylmar knows that L.A. is simply a large place,” said Trujillo, who isn’t affiliated pinch immoderate of nan candidates successful nan June 2 mayoral primary. “To adhd different hr and a half to nan thrust is not advantageous if you’re trying to run successful each area of nan city.”

Pratt, a erstwhile reality TV star, has millions of followers connected societal media, but Trujillo said that Pratt will request to show a beardown beingness successful nan organization to costs a successful campaign.

Pratt is simply a Republican moving successful a Democrat-majority city. Developer Geoffrey H. Palmer, a major run philanthropist to President Trump, plans to big a reception for Pratt astatine his Beverly Hills location April 28, according to a document nan Pratt run revenge pinch nan metropolis Ethics Commission.

The arena is being organized by Trey Kozacik, who besides organized a Trump fundraiser successful Los Angeles successful 2019.

The UCLA Luskin canvass released this period showed Pratt pinch nan support of 11% of apt voters, down Bass pinch 25% and up of City Council personnel Nithya Raman pinch 9%.

Mayoral campaigner Adam Miller, who polled astatine 3% successful nan survey, said Pratt’s statement affiliation is his biggest hurdle to winning nan mayoral race.

“I sympathize pinch Spencer for losing his location and emotion outrage toward nan city, but he is not a viable candidate. It doesn’t matter wherever he lives, a Republican hasn’t been elected politician successful 30 years successful this city, and he isn’t going to alteration that now,” said Miller, a tech executive.

Others opportunity statement affiliation is little of an issue.

“This is simply a non-partisan race,” said Roxanne Hoge, nan chair of nan Los Angeles County Republican Party. “There’s nary missive accompanying anyone’s name... I personally support him because he’s an intelligent alternative.”

Some deliberation Pratt will besides clasp entreaty for immoderate Democratic voters.

“There are group I speak to who I cognize to beryllium Democrats who really, really for illustration him,” said Maryam Zar, who heads nan Palisades Recovery Coalition. “To nan grade that group are disappointed successful this recovery, they pin their hopes connected Spencer. That’s not a bad spot for him to be.”