Rick Caruso reveals ‘bottom line’ reason why he pulled out of LA mayor run

Real estate mogul Rick Caruso has revealed the “bottom line” reason he pulled out of prospective 2026 runs for California governor and Los Angeles mayor.

In an interview with CNN, the businessman — who ran and lost to Karen Bass in the 2022 mayoral election — said it was his family, among other factors, that ultimately drove his decision.

“There’s never any one reason, but the reason that weighed on me the most was the benefit to the family in terms of, is there a risk to the family and the welfare of the family?” Caruso said, as he gave San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan a full-throated endorsement for governor.

The billionaire developer is married to Tina Caruso and together they have four children: Alex, Gregory, Justin and Gianna.

Caruso also said politics had “become a lot angrier” than when he last ran for public office, but he vowed to continue helping through the private sector.

“I kept saying to myself, the goal was to make change, not to get a job. And then when I really thought about it: Who can best lead and who can win? And that’s Matt [Mahan],” the 67-year-old said.

Caruso also said he has not yet made up his mind on who to endorse in the LA mayor’s race, adding he worries about the city, especially as more left-leaning candidates like city council member and Democratic Socialist Nithya Raman entered the field.

“I’m certainly going through a grieving process,” he said. “I do love this city, and so I worry about the leadership in the city. I worry about the direction of the city council.”

Besides Raman, reality TV star Spencer Pratt and at least 35 other candidates are running to challenge Bass.

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