Councilman and ex-LAPD Officer Joe Buscaino is entering the race for mayor of Los Angeles.
Buscaino, who represents an area from Watts to San Pedro, is expected to make an official announcement Monday. His office confirmed early Monday that he will officially open a committee to seek the office of mayor.
In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Buscaino, 46, said the city faces an emergency due in part to homelessness and violence.
“This isn’t the city I know and love,” he told the Times.
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Buscaino was a member of the LAPD for 15 years. He currently serves as a reserve officer.
He won a city council seat in 2012, representing a district that includes Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro, Watts, Wilmington and the Port of Los Angeles.
Buscaino is president pro tempore of the council. He has served as chair of the City's Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee since 2017. The committee oversees the Port of Los Angeles.
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He also serves as vice chair of the Rules, Elections, and Intergovernmental Relations Committee, and is a member of the Public Safety Committee, Transportation Committee, Homelessness & Poverty Committee, and the Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games.
He is the first council member to enter the 2022 mayor’s race. City Attorney Mike Feuer announced his candidacy last year.
