The 2022 Los Angeles mayoral election was held on November 8, 2022, to elect the mayor of Los Angeles, California. A top-two primary was held on June 7, 2022. Candidates could win the election outright by receiving more than 50% of the vote, but no candidate received a majority. More than forty candidates formed committees to run. Twenty-seven filed their declaration of intention to collect signatures for the ballot, and of these twelve qualified.
Incumbent Mayor Eric Garcetti was ineligible to seek a third term due to term limits but was serving an extended second term due to a law moving election dates from an "off-year election" to a midterm and statewide election year. In July 2021, Garcetti was nominated to become United States Ambassador to India. If Garcetti left office before his mayoral term ended, the Los Angeles City Council would have appointed an interim replacement to finish the remainder of that term. This nomination was stalled in the Senate, leaving Garcetti to finish his term.
U.S. Representative Karen Bass and real estate developer Rick Caruso advanced to the general election. On November 16, Bass was declared the winner becoming the first woman, as well as the second black, mayor of Los Angeles.
There were a total of 2,120,515 registered voters within the City of Los Angeles and 1,018,139 votes received as of November 22, 2022 as of the last update there were 15,105 ballots outstanding within Los Angeles County, The election was nonpartisan, as are all local elections in California.
Candidates
Advanced to general election
Karen Bass, U.S. Representative from and former Speaker of the California State Assembly Rick Caruso, CEO of Caruso Affiliated, developer of The Grove at Farmers Market and The Americana at Brand, president of the University of Southern California board of trustees, former president of the Los Angeles Board of Police Commissioners, and former member of the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power and the Los Angeles Coliseum Commission
Eliminated in primary
Kevin de León, city councilmember from the 14th district, candidate for the US Senate in 2018 and former President pro tempore of the California State Senate Craig Greiwe, business executive Alex Gruenenfelder Smith, Echo Park neighborhood councilman John "Jsamuel" Jackson, business owner Andrew Kim, lawyer Gina Viola, community organizer/activist Mel Wilson, real estate agent and former Metro board member
Disqualified
Louis De Barraicua, teacher and self-described homeless advocate
Barry "Boenvilla" Boen, CEO of SilentRight
Chuck Cho
YJ Draiman, former Northridge East Neighborhood Councilmember and father of David Draiman Austin Dragon, veteran and education advocate Sean Enright, construction worker Jesse N. Forte, self-described astronaut Chris Gilmore, business owner Jesseca Harvey, business administrative consultant Evan Jasek, web developer G. Juan Johnson, housing advocate (write-in) Juanita Lopez, businesswoman Alicia Tashaunna Lowery, children's social worker Asher Luzzatto, developer William "Rodriguez" Morrison, community organizer and perennial candidate (write-in) Jemiss Nazar, chiropractor Vincent "King Spider-D" Willis, community activist
Withdrawn
Joseph May, urban designer, artist, and entrepreneur
Helan Mahmood, co-founder of fashion brand Don Kaka
Jessica Lall, business executive (endorsed Caruso) Joe Buscaino, city councilmember from the 15th district and former LAPD officer (remained on ballot; endorsed Caruso) Mike Feuer, Los Angeles City Attorney and former state assemblyman from the 42nd district (remained on ballot; endorsed Bass) Ramit Varma, co-founder of Revolution Prep (remained on ballot; endorsed Caruso)
Declined
Austin Beutner, former superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District and 2013 mayoral candidate Mike Bonin, city councilmember from the 11th district Bob Iger, CEO of The Walt Disney Company Paul Krekorian, city councilmember from the 2nd district and former state assemblyman from the 43rd district Steve Lopez, journalist Nury Martinez, President of the Los Angeles City Council from the 6th district Mark Ridley-Thomas, suspended city councilmember from the 10th district and former Los Angeles County Supervisor