Former L.A. schools Supt. Austin Beutner is planning to announce a challenge to Mayor Karen Bass in the 2026 election,arguing that the city has failed to properly respond to crime,rising housing costs and the devastating palisades fire.Beutner, a philanthropist and former investment banker who lives in L.A.’s Pacific Palisades neighborhood, would become the first serious challenger to Bass, who is running for her second and final term.
beutner saeid in an interview Saturday that city officials at all levels showed a “failure of leadership” on the fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and left 12 people dead.
The inferno seriously damaged Beutner’s house, forcing him and his family to rent elsewhere in the neighborhood, and destroyed his mother-in-law’s home entirely.
“When you have broken hydrants, a reservoir that’s broken and is out of action, broken [fire] trucks that you can’t dispatch ahead of time, when you don’t pre-deploy at the adequate level, when you don’t choose to hold over the Monday firefighters to be there on Tuesday to help fight the fire – to me, it’s a failure of leadership,” Beutner said.
“At the end of the day,” he added, “the buck stops with the mayor.”
A representative for Bass’ campaign declined to comment.
Beutner’s attacks come days after federal prosecutors filed charges in the Palisades fire, accusing a 29-year-old of intentionally starting a New Year’s Day blaze that later rekindled into the deadly inferno.
With the federal investigation tied up, the Fire Department released a long-awaited after-action report Wednesday. The 70-page report found that firefighters were hampered by poor dialog, inexperienced leadership, a lack of resources and an ineffective process for recalling them back to work. Bass announced a number of changes considering the report.
Beutner, a onetime advisor to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, could pose a serious political threat to Bass. he would come to the race with a wide range of experiences – finance, philanthropy, local government and even the struggling journalism industry.
Although seven other people have filed paperwork to run for her seat, none have the fundraising muscle or name recognition to mount a major campaign. Rick Caruso, the real estate developer whom Bass defeated in 2022, has publicly flirted with the idea of another run but has stopped short of announcing a decision.
Bass beat Caruso by a wide margin in 2022 even though the shopping mall mogul outspent her by an enormous margin. Caruso has been an outspoken critic of her mayorship, particularly on her response to the Palisades fire.
Fernando Guerra, director of the Center for the Study of Los Angeles at Loyola Marymount University, said he believes that Beutner would face an uphill climb in attempting to unseat Bass – even with the criticism surrounding the handling of the Palisades fire. However, his entry into the race could inspire other big names to launch their own mayoral campaigns, shattering the “wall of invincibility” that Bass has tried to create.
“If Beutner jumps in and starts to get some traction, it makes it easier for caruso to jump in,” guerra said. “Because all you’ve got to do is come in second in the primary [election], and then see what happe
Austin Beutner: From Business Leader to Education Advocate and Watchdog
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Austin Beutner is a prominent figure in Los Angeles, known for his diverse career spanning business, media, education, and philanthropy. He has navigated high-profile roles – from a mayoral bid to leading the Los Angeles Times and L.A. Unified – often marked by both success and conflict. More recently, he’s become a vocal advocate for arts education and a critic of how funds are allocated within the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Early Career and Mayoral Run
Beutner began his career in investment banking, eventually becoming a partner at Evercore Partners. In 2009, he launched a campaign for Mayor of Los Angeles, securing the support of former Mayor Richard Riordan and significant backing from the business community. However, he withdrew from the race in 2012, citing the need to focus on his family [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2012-jan-13-la-me-beutner-mayor-20120113-story.html].
Tenure at the Los Angeles Times
In 2014, Beutner was appointed publisher of the Los Angeles Times, tasked with revitalizing the newspaper in a rapidly changing media landscape. He emphasized digital innovation and strengthening reader engagement. His tenure was relatively short-lived, though, as Tribune Publishing Co.removed him from the position in September 2015 [https://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-austin-beutner-tribune-publishing-20150908-story.html].
Leading L.A.Unified
Three years later, Beutner took on the challenge of superintendent for L.A. Unified, the second-largest school district in the United States, serving Los Angeles and surrounding areas. His time at the helm was promptly marked by tension with the teachers union, United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). In January 2019, the UTLA went on strike, resulting in a six-day work stoppage. The union ultimately secured a two-year contract with raises totaling 6% [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2019-01-25/lausd-teachers-strike-deal-reached].
Beutner also championed a parcel tax to increase funding for the district, but the measure was defeated by voters in June 2019 [https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-property-tax-lausd-explainer-20190605-story.html]. he left the position in June 2021.
Championing Arts Education and Legal Challenge
Following his departure from L.A. Unified, Beutner spearheaded the campaign for Proposition 28, a ballot initiative passed in November 2022. Proposition 28 mandates that a portion of California’s general fund be dedicated to visual and performing arts education in public schools [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-08/2022-california-election-prop-28-funding-music-art-school-results].
However, Beutner has since become critical of the district’s implementation of Proposition 28.In February 2024, he and others filed a lawsuit against L.A. Unified, alleging the district is misusing funds intended for arts instruction and failing to meet the legal requirements of the proposition [https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-02-11/lausd-misused-millions-intended-to-increase-arts-instruction-lawsuit-alleges]. The lawsuit claims the district diverted funds to other areas instead of directly supporting arts programs.
Philanthropic Work
Beyond his professional endeavors, Beutner is deeply involved in philanthropy. He founded Vision to Learn, a nonprofit organization that provides free vision screenings, eye exams, and glasses to children in low-income communities. Vision to Learn has served hundreds of thousands of children, addressing a critical need for accessible vision care [https://visiontolearn.org/].
Austin Beutner’s career demonstrates a consistent pattern of taking on challenging roles and advocating for his beliefs. His current focus on ensuring Proposition 28’s funds are used as intended suggests he will continue to be a significant voice in Los Angeles education policy for the foreseeable future.