Austin Beutner
Austin Beutner
Los Angeles Mayor winner?
$87.2M
NOV 4, 2026
General Election
Voters choose the office holder.
Overview
Current roleBusinessman
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age66 years old (Apr 8, 1960)
GenderMale
LocationCalifornia
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BackgroundBusinessman
EducationDartmouth College (B.A., 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 and previously served as Los Angeles’ first deputy mayor (2010–2013). He has worked in investment banking, including as a co-founder of Evercore, and later served as publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times. He founded the nonprofit Vision To Learn, which provides free eye exams and glasses to children 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 in the news because he is part of the crowded California political landscape, including the Los Angeles mayoral race and the 2026 gubernatorial contest. Recent coverage has focused on slow ballot counting in the Los Angeles mayoral primary, which left the final top-two finishers unresolved for days and fueled scrutiny and misinformation. There are also reports of a federal voter-fraud investigation tied to the mayoral election, though officials have only confirmed that a criminal matter is under review. Earlier coverage noted the competitive governor’s race and debate controversy over candidate exclusion criteria.
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New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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