Former Los Angeles Unified Superintendent Austin Beutner is working for the mayor of Los Angeles, turning into essentially the most high-profile candidate to formally enter the 2026 race to date.
In an interview Saturday evening with Southern California Information Group, Beutner leveled criticism at Mayor Karen Bass.
Beutner mentioned Los Angeles is “adrift” and that the town authorities has failed to fulfill the fundamental wants of residents. He mentioned he’s getting into the 2026 mayoral race to assist lead what he referred to as a “citywide turnaround,” citing considerations over affordability, security and the on a regular basis challenges of residing in L.A.
“It appears daily Los Angeles is turning into much less reasonably priced, much less secure, and a tougher place to stay. We’re adrift,” Beutner mentioned. “When folks stay in Los Angeles, they know the issues are there. What we’d like are elected officers to get on and clear up them, and so we have to give up speaking about issues and begin fixing them.”
Bass additionally led the town’s response to the January wildfires, although her absence on the onset of the fires — whereas touring in Ghana — drew criticism from some residents and from then – Fireplace Chief Kristin Crowley, who was later pushed out of her position.
Bass responded to criticism by issuing an emergency order to expedite rebuilding in hearth‑destroyed areas and streamlining allow processes for infrastructure restore. She has additionally defended her administration’s dealing with of fireside division and public security staffing, denying that current funds cuts compromised the town’s emergency response.
Bass additionally confronted a federal immigration crackdown in June, when closely armed federal brokers carried out raids throughout Los Angeles, prompting widespread protests. In response, she vocally condemned the sweeps, criticized the deployment of Nationwide Guard troops, and labored with native allies to defend immigrant communities — actions that helped her regain political floor after early criticism of her dealing with of the January wildfires.
SCNG has reached out to Bass’ marketing campaign for remark.
Beutner confirmed his intent to run throughout Saturday’s interview.
He’s essentially the most distinguished challenger to date to Bass for her second time period in workplace. Bass, a fellow Democrat and a former congresswoman elected in 2022, has made homelessness her prime precedence, launching initiatives like Inside Secure to maneuver unhoused Angelenos indoors. Rick Caruso, who misplaced to Bass in 2022, has additionally signaled curiosity in a possible 2026 run, although he has not formally entered the race. The developer has additionally weighed whether or not to run for California governor.
The 65-year-old Beutner has held a spread of high-profile roles within the metropolis over the previous twenty years. He served as deputy mayor beneath Antonio Villaraigosa, writer of the Los Angeles Instances, and LAUSD superintendent from 2018 to 2021, main the district by means of the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He additionally based the nonprofit Imaginative and prescient To Be taught, which gives free glasses to low-income college students, and led the profitable Proposition 28 marketing campaign to spice up arts and music funding in public faculties.
Beutner mentioned these experiences — from managing crises to advocating for underserved communities — formed his perception that management is about making authorities work for on a regular basis residents.
“A superb superintendent’s job is to verify lecturers and cafeteria employees and bus drivers have what they want,” he mentioned. “And mayor, their job is to verify the firefighters on the entrance strains, or the folks cleansing the streets or fixing the road lights, or the police holding us secure, that they’ve what they want, and that’s the place we fall quick.”
Beutner mentioned the January wildfires served as a wake-up name for a lot of Angelenos concerning the state of the town, exposing not simply the bodily harm, however what he sees as a broader failure of metropolis management to reply to crises or meet residents’ fundamental wants.
“The fires, if something, are a metaphor,” Beutner mentioned. “Consider a damaged hearth hydrant, actually a metaphor for a metropolis that’s not properly led and never properly run.”
He pointed to growing older infrastructure, unaffordable housing, persistent homelessness and what he referred to as an absence of urgency at Metropolis Corridor.
“What the fires I feel confirmed all of us is we don’t have management in Metropolis Corridor that we will depend on. That’s an awakening,” he mentioned. “ We’d like management who can rise to the event and we’d like management who deal with as a disaster the dearth of affordability in Los Angeles, the dearth of security, the by no means ending problem with homelessness, the damaged infrastructure, the streetlights, the sidewalks.”
Beutner mentioned he’ll share particular coverage proposals within the coming weeks. His focus, he mentioned, can be on restoring belief in metropolis authorities and making Los Angeles work higher for the individuals who stay right here.
“I, like many individuals who stay in Los Angeles, wish to see a brighter future for our households, for our youngsters, for our neighbors. That’s what that is about,” Beutner mentioned. “And I feel my 17 years in public life have given me a fairly good understanding of tips on how to work with folks, how to verify everyone’s voice is heard, and in the end tips on how to get one thing carried out.”
As of now, eight people have filed to run within the 2026 mayoral race, in keeping with the L.A. Metropolis Ethics Fee. Beutner has not but formally filed. Amongst these listed, solely Mayor Karen Bass and longtime metropolis civil engineer Asaad Y. Alnajjar have reported elevating marketing campaign funds.
Additionally working at this level are: Ernesto Castelli, Rahaf Hasu, Tom Simson, Kridikel R.D. TruthBey, Franziska Von Fischer and Vincent Wali.
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