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ON THE POLIS - So, Rick decided not to run. For more than fifteen years he has floated a potential run for Los Angeles mayor, losing once in the general election of 2022. But his public pondering for office remained bubbly until last week when he announced he will not pursue elected office in the upcoming elections.
For a long time, as evidence shows, he took tangible steps that indicated a serious campaign was in the works. In September 2025, Rick Caruso stated publicly on Bloomberg TV and other platforms that he was "seriously looking" at a run for office, citing a "strong need for leadership" in the state. And just a few days ago he stated that not running for mayor or governor was "off the table".
Questions now arise if his public political aspirations were intentional and were brandished to maintain public relevance? A graceful withdrawal was sought, and of course, the “family and reflection” language is the standard dignity‑preserving script.
Caruso has remained publicly engaged through his nonprofit, Steadfast LA, which focused on rebuilding efforts following the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires. He used this platform to frequently criticize the current administration's handling of these crises.
In his withdrawal statement, he emphasized that "public service does not require a title.” This suggests he may prefer celebrity status over the responsibilities of elective office.
After spending $100 million on a mayoral run and keeping a strong public profile while considering the governorship, he chose a graceful exit that preserved his reputation. This approach lets him avoid campaign scrutiny and stay relevant without risking loss.
True, a “maybe” candidate for mayor increases his influence and public persona. Once that is gained, he can withdraw looking responsible rather than evasive. Bridges are not burned. In politics, attention is currency. Gaining it without paying the cost of a real campaign is a move in the repertoire of today’s political actors.
Running for office sits in the intersection of personal ambition, public trust, and norms that hold democratic life together.
The snag here is uncomplicated. Is it right to tout a possible run, to signal viability without committing? Speculation itself is a form of political capital. In truth, Caruso’s recent announcement is a textbook example: months of speculation with a complicit press, then a public statement that he will not seek office. It is an old LA stunt; stay visible without risking loss.
After all, LA is volatile territory with unpredictable cycles, with its scandals, fires, homelessness, policing debates, and governance crises. The city’s political ecosystem is fragmented, flashy, and often unforgiving. A storm awaits the office holder, not a shelter. There are daily issues with donors, unions, neighborhood factions, media narratives, and a civic culture that can turn on a dime.
Yet, I strongly maintain that running for office should not be just about seeking power. It is a willingness to stand for something, publicly, and let people decide. By so doing, a candidate transforms free speech from a passive right into an active civic act. As a past candidate for mayor, I saw the campaign as an opportunity to express issues that might otherwise be ignored. Conveyed ideas linger, they get absorbed, repurposed and refined. A candidate may not win, but his vision and ideas may germinate to fruition to guide and help his fellow citizens in the future.
How correct Theodore Roosevelt was in his "MAN IN THE ARENA SPEECH" delivered in Paris on April 23, 1910, when he said: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”
These are noble words about striving valiantly and daring greatly. You either step into the arena and strive to attain goals, or you get out of the way. After spending all last year publicly mulling a run for either governor or mayor, Caruso ultimately announced he would not pursue either office. Did he run the numbers and decide a second loss would end his political viability permanently?
After several months of anticipation, the public will not hear his concluding perspectives. Winning office shapes policy but running shapes the conversation. And the conversation shapes the city. Those that run are the winners.
Aristotle stated that, just as only those who compete in the Olympic games win, in life, success belongs to those who act rightly, not simply to the noble or strong. His words: “For as at the Olympic games it is not the fairest and the strongest who are crowned, but they that run -- for some of these it is that win the victory -- so too, among the noble and good in life, it is they that act rightly who become masters of life's prize.”
(Nick Patsaouras is an electrical engineer, civic leader and a longtime public advocate. He ran for Mayor in 1993 with a focus on rebuilding L.A. through transportation after the 1992 civil unrest. He has served on major public boards, including the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Metro, and the Board of Zoning Appeals, helping guide infrastructure and planning policy in Los Angeles. He is the author of the book "The Making of Modern Los Angeles.")
