Rick Caruso not running for LA mayor despite report on Karen Bass – NBC Los Angeles

Real estate developer and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso has confirmed once again that he’s not running for LA mayor in 2026.

His decision not to run, for the second time, came a day after he said during a radio interview that he was contemplating his options following after the release of a Los Angeles Times story, which said Mayor Karen Bass directed the watering-down of an after-action report critical of the LA Fire Department’s handling of the deadly Palisades Fire. Bass has vehemently denied the accusation.

“Rick is incredibly moved by outpouring of support but reached an earlier decision in a thoughtful process and it stands. He will not be a candidate for mayor,” a spokesperson for Caruso told NBC Los Angeles Thursday.

The Los Angeles shopping mall mogul had initially announced the decision not to run for elected office last month after talks with his family and the impacts of a potential campaign.

Despite holding a statewide listening tour and appearing on multiple national talk shows, including the Joe Rogan podcast, Caruso said he would not be running to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in the 2026 California gubernatorial election.

The mayoral campaign took another turn Thursday morning when former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner announced he was dropping out of the race after his 22-year-old daughter Emily died unexpectedly last month.

With two formidable possible opponents out of the race, Bass faces challengers in Spencer Pratt, a reality television personality and Palisades Fire survivor; and Rae Huang, a community organizer, among others.

On Thursday, Adam Miller, founder and former CEO of workforce education company Cornerstone OnDemand, announced that he was running for the mayor’s office.