Billionaire developer Rick Caruso filed to run for mayor of Los Angeles on Friday afternoon, ending months of speculation and shaking up the crowded race to succeed Eric Garcetti.
A onetime Republican, Caruso is best known as the builder of the Grove and the Americana at Brand shopping centers, among others. He is also a former Los Angeles city commissioner, and has flirted with a run for mayor for the better part of two decades. With his ability to spend almost unlimited funds, Caruso immediately becomes a top contender in the campaign, perhaps second only to frontrunner Karen Bass.
Jay Sures, co-president of UTA, is hosting the first entertainment industry event in support of Caruso’s candidacy at his home on Feb. 23. Other Caruso supporters in the industry include CAA co-chairman Bryan Lourd, who is a longtime friend, and Dana Walden, Disney’s chairman of television…
