Pratt Moves to Carpinteria Following Palisades Fire Loss

Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is facing scrutiny regarding his eligibility for the June 2 primary election after acknowledging that he has been residing in Santa Barbara County.

According to the city clerk’s office, candidates seeking city office must be registered to vote in Los Angeles and must have been residents of the city by January 3 to be eligible for the election.

The questions regarding Pratt’s residency emerged following reports that he listed a mailing address at Sandyland Cove, a private community in Carpinteria, located in Santa Barbara County. Pratt has acknowledged living in the area after his home in the Pacific Palisades was destroyed by a fire in 2025.

Residency Claims and Admissions

On April 6, 2026, Pratt posted a video to the social media platform X in which he admitted to living at a rental home owned by his father in Carpinteria, approximately 12 miles south of Santa Barbara. In the video, Pratt stated, I wasn’t thinking, ‘I really need to make sure I stay in this ZIP Code in case I run for mayor.’

Pratt asserted that the lot where his home burned down remains his legal residence. He further claimed that he has recently moved an Airstream trailer onto the Palisades lot with the intention of living there.

However, voter registration records indicate that both Spencer Pratt and his wife, singer and reality star Heidi Pratt, listed a Carpinteria address associated with Pratt’s parents. While Spencer Pratt listed the address as a mailing address, Heidi Pratt listed it as both her mailing address and her residence.

Legal and Eligibility Concerns

The residency discrepancy has led legal experts to question whether Pratt meets the requirements set forth in the city charter. Jessica Levinson, a professor of law at Loyola Marymount University, noted that the situation raises the question of whether Pratt can satisfy the necessary residency requirements to be elected mayor.

I think this brings up the question as to whether Spencer Pratt can satisfy the residency requirement required under the charter to be elected mayor

Jessica Levinson, professor of law at Loyola Marymount University

The Los Angeles Times reported that Pratt and his campaign staff did not respond to repeated inquiries regarding his residency status during the week leading up to April 6, 2026.

Local witnesses in Carpinteria have corroborated Pratt’s presence in the area. Samantha Smith, the manager of Delgado’s Mexican Restaurant located half a mile from the home of Pratt’s parents, stated that she sees him frequently, noting he is seen every month or every other week.