Former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner says "I'm not an ordinary candidate," announcing LA mayoral bid

Former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced his run for Los Angeles mayor on Monday morning.

In a four-minute YouTube video, Beutner made his candidacy official, saying that "Los Angeles needs a change."

He briefly described his upbringing by working-class parents, working his way through college, and building a successful business until a bicycle accident 17 years ago motivated him to change his career path.

Beutner transitioned to public service and served as LA deputy mayor from 2010 through 2013, during former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's second term. He was the publisher of The Los Angeles Times from 2014 to 2015, and became the superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2018, serving until 2021. He led the district through the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his mayoral candidacy video, he stated that Los Angeles is now just a "more difficult place to live," noting that homelessness, safety, the cost of housing, and the loss of jobs and opportunities are top concerns.

Referring to the Palisades Fire, Beutner said, "fire hydrants that don't work are a metaphor for the failure of leadership in City Hall."

He said he had voted for Bass, and that "we had hopes." Bass first took office in December 2022 and announced her bid to run for the 2026 mayoral election earlier in the summer.

The Mayor's Office responded on Monday to Beutner's announcement with a summary of accomplishments, saying that Bass has delivered "in a big way."

"When Karen Bass ran for mayor, homelessness and public safety were the top concerns of Angelenos…Today, 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. Homicides have decreased to their lowest levels in 60 years."

The Mayor's Office said that Bass is committed to building on "this historic momentum in her second term."

Beutner authored the 2022 voter-approved Proposition 28, the Arts and Music in Schools Funding Guarantee and Accountability Act. The measure required the state to establish a new, ongoing program supporting arts instruction in schools, beginning in 2023-24.

Earlier this year, Beutner spearheaded a lawsuit filed against LAUSD and Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, claiming they defrauded taxpayers over millions of dollars in funding by not hiring new art teachers. Carvalho said that the district used the funding to cover existing staff as well as hire new staff.