By Angelica C. Gualpa
Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner officially announced his candidacy for mayor Monday, launching a challenge to incumbent Karen Bass in what is shaping up to be a contentious race focused on the city’s response to the devastating January wildfires and ongoing struggles with homelessness.
The 65-year-old investment banker and philanthropist, who ran the school district from 2018-21, will challenge Mayor Karen Bass in the June 2026 election, Beutner revealed in a four-minute YouTube video that blended his personal story with sharp criticism of the city’s current direction.
He served as deputy mayor under Antonio Villaraigosa from 2010-13, became publisher of the Los Angeles Times from 2014-15, and led LAUSD through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, the co-founder of investment banking firm Evercore Partners is setting his sights on City Hall’s top job.
Fire Response at Center of Campaign
Beutner’s most pointed criticism centered on Bass’s handling of the January Palisades Fire, which he called a “failure of leadership.” The fire killed 12 people and destroyed 6,837 structures, making it the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history. His own house was damaged and his mother-in-law’s home was destroyed.
An after-action report issued by the Los Angeles Fire Department said the department experienced poor communication, inexperienced leadership, a lack of resources and an ineffective process for recalling firefighters back to work during the crisis.
“Fire hydrants that don’t work are a metaphor for the failure of leadership in City Hall,” Beutner declared.
Bass’s campaign quickly pushed back. Spokesman Doug Herman said, “Homelessness has decreased two consecutive years for the first time in Los Angeles. Thousands of people have been moved off our streets and into housing. Violent crime is down across the city”.
Key Issues: Homelessness, Housing, Jobs
Beutner said one of the “greatest challenges” the city is grappling with is homelessness, criticizing Bass’s refusal to allow an independent audit of Inside Safe, her signature homelessness initiative.
“LA is adrift,” Beutner said. “It seems every day our city is becoming more expensive, less safe and a more difficult place to live.”
Beutner touted his record including Vision To Learn, which has provided free eye exams and glasses to more than 600,000 children nationwide. He also authored Proposition 28, the 2022 voter-approved Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act.
“I voted for Karen Bass last time. We had hopes, but now even she admits we need a city wide turnaround,” Beutner said. “Los Angeles needs change.”
A Crowded Field Takes Shape
The 2026 Los Angeles mayoral primary will be held on June 2, 2026. If no candidate receives a majority of the vote, a runoff election will be held on November 3, 2026.
Beutner is the first high-profile challenger to formally enter the race against Bass. Developer Rick Caruso, who lost to Bass in 2022, is also a possible candidate in 2026. Caruso has been a vocal critic of Bass’s fire response and owns property in Pacific Palisades.
According to the L.A, eight individuals have filed to run in the 2026 mayoral race. City Ethics Commission. Among those listed, only Mayor Karen Bass and longtime city civil engineer Asaad Y. Alnajjar have reported raising campaign funds.
The 2022 race between Bass and Caruso was the most expensive in city history. With fire recovery, homelessness, public safety, and housing affordability at the forefront, the 2026 contest is shaping up to be equally intense.
Beutner concluded with both a warning and a promise: “I’ll never accept the Trump administration’s assault on our values and our neighbors… This isn’t an ordinary time, and I’m not an ordinary candidate, but we’ve solved tough problems before. Together, we can get Los Angeles back on track.”
