Austin Beutner
Austin Beutner
Los Angeles Mayor winner?
$87.2M
NOV 4, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleBusiness executive
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age66 years old (Apr 8, 1960)
GenderMale
LocationCalifornia
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BackgroundBusiness executive
EducationDartmouth College (Economics)
Notable personal detailsAustin Michael Beutner is an American businessman and civic leader who served as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2018 to 2021. He previously served as First Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles (2010–2013) and was Publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times (2014–2015). He co-founded Evercore Partners and was a partner at The Blackstone Group, and he founded the nonprofit Vision To Learn to provide free eye exams and glasses to students in low-income communities.
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Positions
Economy & Taxes
Supports business-friendly tax changes including advocating elimination or reduction of the city business (gross receipts) tax and streamlining taxes and regulations for businesses; has opposed broad sales tax increases historically but has expressed support for the concept of a targeted half-cent sales tax to fund firefighters.
Immigration & Border
Supports protections for immigrant parents and children and criticizes aggressive federal immigration enforcement; emphasizes defending immigrants and the city’s diverse communities while opposing targeting based on race. Positions favor humanitarian protections alongside acceptance of some enforcement context rather than calling for maximal restrictionist measures.
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Climate & Energy
Supports integrating renewable energy into Los Angeles’ power supply and endorses regulatory efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions; backs city initiatives to prepare for electric vehicle adoption and reduce reliance on imported water while modernizing utility infrastructure. Positions emphasize clean-energy integration and emissions reduction within a pragmatic, infrastructure-focused approach.
News
Austin Beutner is mentioned in coverage of the Los Angeles mayoral race as having withdrawn following a personal tragedy. The race has been further shaped by allegations that Mayor Karen Bass altered a fire report, which Bass denies, and by potential shifts in the field including Rick Caruso reconsidering a run and Adam Miller entering the contest.
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We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
- Polls
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