Joe Buscaino drops out of L.A. mayor’s race, endorses Rick Caruso

Los Angeles Metropolis Councilman Joe Buscaino dropped out of the mayor’s race on Thursday and threw his help behind billionaire developer Rick Caruso.

Buscaino, a former L.A. police officer and one of many contest’s earliest entrants, noticed the message he deliberate to run on — homelessness and public security — seized by Caruso after he entered the race.

Each had been operating on a platform of cleansing up the town’s streets with an intense give attention to shortly increasing shelter for homeless individuals and aggressively clearing encampments. Each additionally advocated hiring 1,500 new cops and supporting the recall of Dist. Atty. George Gascón.

“Rick and I agree on the playbook to resolve the town’s urgent points,” Buscaino stated in an announcement. “Right this moment’s choice didn’t come simple, however the way forward for Los Angeles is my precedence. Collectively we are going to make Los Angeles cleaner and safer for all.”

With lower than 4 weeks remaining till the June 7 main, Buscaino’s departure may present a lift to Caruso, permitting him to consolidate the help of Angelenos who really feel that the town has been too lax in stopping homeless encampments from sprouting up on metropolis streets. The homelessness disaster and upticks in crime have been the 2 points that each candidates have been specializing in.

Regardless of his greatest efforts, Buscaino’s mayoral candidacy by no means took maintain. In Instances polling over the past a number of months, he by no means garnered greater than 4% of help amongst doubtless voters. A ballot final month discovered that simply 1% of doubtless voters backed him.

On the council he has been a loud — and generally lonely — voice in saying that the town wanted to make anti-camping ordinances extra stringent and exit the Los Angeles Homeless Companies Authority. He additionally pushed for a poll measure to accompany his candidacy that might have prohibited individuals from sleeping or tenting on sidewalks and different public areas if they’ve turned down gives of shelter or emergency housing.

His allies stopped amassing signatures for this measure after the town introduced a proposed settlement in a federal lawsuit about homelessness.

Since he launched his marketing campaign in March 2021, Buscaino, who represents San Pedro, Watts and different neighborhoods, raised about $1.3 million and spent about $750,000. The poll measure that he had supported, which was separate from his mayoral marketing campaign, raised simply over 1,000,000 {dollars}.

Whereas the 2 candidates shared most of the identical coverage positions, Buscaino and his political consultants often attacked Caruso.

Even earlier than Buscaino entered the race, his marketing campaign strategist, Michael Trujillo, repeatedly highlighted Caruso’s marketing campaign donations to Republican candidates. Trujillo additionally focused Caruso’s time as chairman of USC’s board of trustees, saying the mall developer had “legit destroyed a as soon as proud college.”

“I’m only a good ol’ style frequent sense democrat attempting to forestall Rick Caruso from operating,” Trujillo posted final 12 months.

Throughout the first televised debate that included Caruso, Buscaino mocked him for not exhibiting up for different candidate boards and city halls.

Caruso later attacked Buscaino, citing a Instances article about how he has spent tens of 1000’s of {dollars} from his officeholder account on journeys to Hawaii, Italy and elsewhere for his household since he was elected. The spending, which is allowed beneath metropolis ethics guidelines, far exceeds the quantity spent by different elected metropolis officers on journey for members of the family throughout this era.

With a purpose to run for mayor, Buscaino selected to not search a 3rd and last time period on the council, which he doubtless would have gained simply.

“I’ve super respect for Joe and his deep dedication to the individuals of Los Angeles,” Caruso stated in an announcement. “I’m honored to have his endorsement and look ahead to his counsel on points like homelessness and legal justice. Los Angeles is struggling, and dealing with Joe, I do know we will clear up L.A.”

Instances employees author David Zahniser contributed to this report.