Former LAUSD Superintendent Austin Beutner announced his candidacy for mayor Monday with a four-minute video released on Youtube.

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.

‘”I’ll never accept the Trump administration’s assault on our values and our neighbors. Targeting people solely based on the color of their skin is unacceptable and un-American,” he says in the video.

But Beutner has questioned Bass’ record on crime and development issues, but focused his most withering criticism on her response to January’s devastating Palisades Fire, telling the newspaper that the city showed a “failure of leadership” as historically strong winds spread flames through the expensive coasta

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