Mayor Garcetti Says He Won't Be Running For Governor Of California

Mayor Eric Garcetti announced Sunday that he will not be running for governor of California, ending speculation he would try to replace Governor Jerry Brown in the 2018 election.

If he were to enter race, he would be campaigning against former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom. Instead, he will remain in Los Angeles to "best build on our progress here in L.A.."

Garcetti won his second term as mayor by a landslide back in March. He was sworn in in July, so he's only a few months in to his second term, which will last five and a half years due to a one-time change in the election year.

His decision not to run for governor doesn't mean he won't look for a presidential run in 2020. While he and his camp have kept mum on the matter, we've noted that he's visited multiple swing states and had a meet-and-greet with billionaire donor Ronald Perelman. He also spoke to a TV reporter in Wisconsin back in June, saying, "I think all the rules are off," according to the L.A. Times. "No African American could be president until one was. No reality star could be president until one is," he said. We'll fill in the next sentence: no Los Angeles Mayor could be president until Garcetti is.