Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti mysteriously called a late-afternoon news conference Tuesday without specifying the topic, but according to an online report, he is expected to announce he will not be running for president in 2020.
Politico, which cited three unnamed sources, reported that Garcetti has chosen not to seek the White House, despite mulling a possible presidential bid over the past year.
Garcetti will be speaking to reporters at City Hall at 5 p.m. The news conference was not announced by the mayor’s office, but by his political adviser, Yusef Robb.
Garcetti was reelected to a second term in 2017 in a landslide and has been openly exploring a potential presidential run ever since through a number of political trips, including visits to Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina. But with a likely Democratic field that political experts estimate will reach more than 20 contenders, it appears Garcetti has chosen to stay at City Hall for the time being.
Until as recently as last week, Garcetti acknowledged to reporters he was thinking of running.
“I think we have a TV reality star as president. We had our first African-American president,” Garcetti told CBS News on Thursday when asked about the potential of being the first mayor to jump right into the White House. “The time for obviously trying new things — in both positive and sometimes negative ways — is upon us. I don’t think it’s about your resume anymore.”