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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas announced today that he will not run for mayor of Los Angeles in the 2022 election, saying he will instead focus on the city's homelessness crisis.
“I want to focus on homelessness. Of course, homelessness encompasses many issues: poverty, housing policy, environmental justice, racial equity, public safety, public health, etc. That's why it's so complex,'' Ridley-Thomas, who serves as chair of the Homelessness and Poverty Committee, said in a statement.
He announced that he won't make a mayoral run during a Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum.
“Specifically, I will continue my work to establish a right to housing in Los Angeles and the state of California. That's the campaign that interests me,'' Ridley-Thomas said. “I am proud to celebrate 30 years in elected office this summer. This work has been challenging and fulfilling -- and I am not done. I still have (3 1/2) years in office, so don't write any eulogies yet! Stay tuned.''
The councilman has been in public office since first serving in the Los Angeles City Council from 1991-2002. He went on to represent California's 26th District in the state Senate from 2006-2008, then the Second District seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 2008-2020. He rejoined the Los Angeles City Council in 2020, replacing Herb Wesson to represent the 10th District.
The 2022 mayoral election is set for Nov. 8, 2022. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who cannot seek a third term due to term limits, is expected to leave office early after being appointed to a U.S. ambassadorship in India by President Joe Biden.
The two highest-profile candidates to enter the race so far are Los Angeles City Councilman Joe Buscaino and City Attorney Mike Feuer.
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