Austin Beutner, who served as superintendent in the Los Angeles Unified School District, announced on Monday that he is running against Mayor Karen Bass for the city’s election next year.

In a video marking his campaign launch, Beutner digged at Bass’s time in office by declaring, “Los Angeles needs change.”

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“L.A. is adrift,” he said. “It seems every day our city is becoming a more expensive, less safe, and a more difficult place to live. The city has spent billions to solve problems that have just become bigger problems: homelessness, the cost of housing, the loss of jobs, and opportunity.”

Beutner is the first serious contender to enter the 2026 mayoral race and challenge Bass, who has been criticized for her administration’s response to the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year.

The incumbent made budget cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department prior to the January outbreak of the fires, which became out of control due to the high demand placed on the city’s water supply. At the time, at least 20% of the fire hydrants in the Pacific Palisades area near one of the fires ran dry.

“Fire hydrants that don’t work are a metaphor for the failure of leadership in City Hall,” Beutner said, adding he voted for Bass in 2022. This time, he’s running himself.

Beutner worked through a crisis of his own while serving as superintendent of Los Angeles’s largest public school district: the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When COVID hit, we made sure every student had a computer and internet access to stay connected and continue learning,” he said, touting his remote-learning efforts. “And when the economy closed down, we provided 140 million free meals to help kids and their families make it through.”

In response to his campaign launch, Bass’s campaign strategist Douglas Herman called on Beutner to “move past divisive attacks and talk about accomplishments,” instead, citing the Democratic mayor’s work to address homelessness and crime.

“Thousands of people have been moved off our streets and into housing,” Herman said. “Violent crime is down across the city. Homicides have decreased to their lowest levels in 60 years. These achievements represent real progress for families in Los Angeles.”

Beyond Bass, Beutner also took a shot at the Trump administration over its aggressive illegal immigration enforcement.

“I’ll never accept the Trump administration’s assault on our values and our neighbors,” the progressive candidate vowed. “Targeting people solely based on the color of their skin is unacceptable and un-American. I’ll counter these injustices and work to keep every person safe and build a better Los Angeles.”

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Real estate developer Rick Caruso, a Republican-turned-Democrat, is weighing whether to enter the mayoral race or run for California governor next year. Caruso unsuccessfully challenged Bass in 2022.

Beutner briefly ran for Los Angeles mayor in 2013 after serving as the city’s first deputy mayor for three years.