With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
Joe Buscaino Withdraws From LA Mayor's Race, Endorses Caruso
L.A. City Councilmember Joe Buscaino is withdrawing from the race for mayor.
(
James Evers for LAist
)
Los Angeles City Councilmember Joe Buscaino dropped out of the race for mayor Thursday and endorsed businessman Rick Caruso. Buscaino was polling at 1% among 12 candidates in the race, according to an April poll by the UC Berkeley Institute for Governmental Studies.
New Voter Game Plan For The November 2022 Elections Coming Soon! Check Back In Early October. Have a question in the meantime? Ask it now, we're here to help.
“Rick and I agree on the playbook to solve the city’s pressing issues,” Buscaino said in a joint statement with Caruso. “Today’s decision did not come easy, but the future of Los Angeles is my priority.”
Buscaino and Caruso have campaigned on hiring an additional 1,500 police officers and more aggressively using them to clear homeless encampments from the streets. They both also promised to build more temporary shelters.
Support for LAist comes from
But Buscaino, a former LAPD sergeant, never broke double digits in the polls. Caruso, a billionaire, rocketed to the top of the pack of candidates by spending more than $20 million on his campaign. That’s more than his competitors' spending combined.
In addition, the Los Angeles Police Protective League — the union that represents rank-and-file LAPD officers — has a war chest of nearly $2 million for a negative ad campaign against Karen Bass, the only candidate holding her own with Caruso in the polls.
Caruso and Bass are polling at 24% and 23% respectively among likely voters. All other candidates are polling in the single digits. If nobody wins a majority of vote in the June 7 primary, the top two vote-getters will face off in November.
“I have tremendous respect for Joe and his deep commitment to the people of Los Angeles,” Caruso said in the statement. “I’m honored to have his endorsement and look forward to his counsel on issues like homelessness and criminal justice."
You can watch Buscaino's May 4 conversation with our newsroom about what he'd hoped to do as mayor.
Support for LAist comes from
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The Palisades Fire erupted on Jan. 7 and went on to kill 12 people and destroy more than 6,800 homes and buildings. -
People moving to Los Angeles are regularly baffled by the region’s refrigerator-less apartments. They’ll soon be a thing of the past. -
Experts say students shouldn't readily forgo federal aid. But a California-only program may be a good alternative in some cases. -
Distrito Catorce’s Guillermo Piñon says the team no longer reflects his community. A new mural will honor local leaders instead. -
The program is for customers in communities that may not be able to afford turf removal or water-saving upgrades. -
More than half of sales through September have been to corporate developers. Grassroots community efforts continue to work to combat the trend.
Best of LAist