Rick Caruso told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday that he has not decided whether he will run for the position of Mayor of Los Angeles or Governor of California.
Rick Caruso ran against Karen Bass in the elections for Los Angeles mayor in 2022.Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
On Wednesday, businessman and philanthropist Rick Caruso told Bloomberg TV that he has not decided whether he will run for California Governor or Los Angeles mayor.
If he chose to run for mayor, Caruso would be running once again, following his loss to Karen Bass in 2022. Since Bass’s election, Caruso has been critical of the mayor’s actions regarding the 2025 Palisades fires, as he felt that she carried out a negligent response to the fires.
Though Caruso was not in office as mayor, he took the initiative to respond to the fires himself, creating his own nonprofit called Steadfast LA, which was aimed at speeding up the recovery and rebuilding process for Los Angeles communities that were impacted by the fires.
Caruso’s passion for rebuilding LA after the devastating fires extends to his criticism against the governor, whom he may run to replace in the elections. Current Governor Gavin Newsom has asked for $40 billion for California to rebuild after the fires from the federal government, but the motion has not passed through Congress. The businessman called on Newsom to stop bickering with Trump and instead to work with him on getting the money to California.
“We need federal funding and we’re getting none of that,” Caruso stated. “I don’t think the bickering and name-calling that’s going on serves any purpose of advancing the negotiations or discussions in getting federal help in Los Angeles.”