LOS ANGELES, CA.- Former Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent and investment banker Austin Beutner officially announced Monday his campaign to unseat fellow Democrat Karen Bass in the 2026 Los Angeles mayoral election.
Beutner, 65, shared his intention in a video on X, stating that Los Angeles “is adrift” and has become a “more expensive, less safe and more difficult place to live.” He criticized the current administration, claiming that billions spent on issues like homelessness and housing costs have resulted in those problems only getting “bigger.”
A prominent figure in Los Angeles public life, Beutner served as LAUSD Superintendent from 2018 to 2021, Deputy Mayor from 2010 to 2013, and briefly as publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times. At age 29, he was the youngest partner at the investment firm Blackstone Group. His campaign launch comes as Mayor Bass faces criticism, including over the city’s handling of the deadly Palisades fires in January.
Beutner, who supported Bass in her 2022 win over Rick Caruso, touted his “seventeen years in public life” as having taught him how to “get things done.” Neither Beutner’s campaign nor Bass’ office responded to a request for comment.
Real estate billionaire Rick Caruso is also reportedly considering a run for mayor or governor in 2026.
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