Beutner, a former superintendent and business executive, says L.A. “needs change” and brands this a unique moment for bold leadership.
Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent and ex-publisher Austin Beutner officially launched his campaign on October 13, 2025, announcing a challenge to incumbent Karen Bass in next year’s mayoral election.
In a launch video and public statements, Beutner acknowledged his prior support for Bass, “I voted for Karen Bass last time. We had hopes,” but maintained that she now concedes the city is in need of a “citywide turnaround.”
Beutner added, “L.A. is adrift … less affordable, less safe, a more difficult place to live.”
Beutner’s resume is wide-ranging. He served as first deputy mayor under Antonio Villaraigosa (2010–2013), overseeing dozens of agencies, including the Department of Water and Power and the Housing Authority.
He later became publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times (though he was later dismissed) and, in 2018, was appointed superintendent of the nation’s second-largest school district, where he oversaw a teacher strike in 2019 and led pandemic-era responses.
During his tenure, he emphasized transparency, equity in schooling, and infrastructure investments. In 2021, he stepped down from LAUSD, later becoming a backer of Prop. 28, which mandates funding for arts and music education.
Beutner’s entry reshapes the 2026 mayoral field. Karen Bass, elected in 2022 and now seeking re-election, will now face criticism over her handling of homelessness, housing costs, public safety, and her administration’s response to the Palisades Fire—an event that damaged Beutner’s own home and destroyed his mother-in-law’s.
A Bass campaign spokesperson countered that she has overseen a decline in homelessness and reductions in violent crime, according to the LA Times. The June 2026 election will be citywide and nonpartisan; if no candidate wins a majority, a November runoff will follow.
