Pratt’s mayoral bid under fire as residency claims emerge
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt is facing scrutiny over his residency, just weeks before the June primary, after the LA Times reported he may not be living within the city limits – a prerequisite for holding office. Pratt, whose home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire, has responded with a fiery defense on social media, accusing the newspaper of launching a “hit piece.”
The airstream in the ashes: pratt’s explanation
The controversy erupted after the LA Times investigation revealed Pratt was residing in Carpinteria, a city over 80 miles from Los Angeles. Pratt countered with a video posted online, claiming he’s been living in an Airstream trailer on his burned-out property in the Palisades, funded by a Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster loan. “Pratt daddy used his SBA Disaster Loan to get an Airstream craned into my burned-out lot in the Palisades,” he stated, visibly agitated.
The LA Times spokesperson staunchly defended their reporting, stating, “The Times learned that Mr. Pratt was living in Carpinteria and contacted him and those around him for comment. We stand by our story and the reporting of our journalists.” This back-and-forth has injected a new layer of complexity into an already unpredictable mayoral race.
Former Los Angeles City Councilman and county supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, however, believes the issue is unlikely to derail Pratt’s campaign. “Common sense tells me he lost his home in the Palisades,” Yaroslavsky remarked. “He’s got to find a place to live. I’m not sure this is an issue that gets any traction.” Yaroslavsky’s assessment aligns with a recent poll from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs, which indicates a remarkably fluid electorate with a staggering 40% of voters still undecided.
The field is crowded. Current Mayor Karen Bass leads the pack with 25% support, followed by Pratt at 11% and Councilwoman Nithya Raman at 9%. California’s primary system dictates that the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election, and with such a large proportion of voters uncommitted, Pratt is aggressively exploiting what he views as an opportunity. He’s leveraging his local roots, declaring, “I was born here, went to school at USC, I bleed Dodger blue. This is my city, and I’m taking it back.”
The firestorm surrounding Pratt’s residency highlights the precarious nature of his campaign and underscores the volatility of the race for Los Angeles’s top job. Whether voters will prioritize policy debates or be swayed by questions of eligibility remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the coming weeks will be crucial for all contenders.