- Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he is not running for president in the 2020 election.
- "This is not an easy decision given the extraordinary times that we live in," Garcetti, the youngest mayor in LA history, said on Tuesday.
- The Rhodes scholar has been the mayor of LA, the second-largest city in America, since 2013.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he is not running for president in the 2020 election.
"This is not an easy decision given the extraordinary times that we live in," Garcetti, the youngest mayor in LA history, said on Tuesday.
He made the announcement from Los Angeles City Hall, squashing rumors that have circulated for several months after he began traveling to key primary states and raising money for the Democratic Party.
"Over the last year, I have traveled across America and witnessed an America awakening in small towns and big cities across our nation," Garcetti said. "I've seen cities and local leaders reinventing American manufacturing, cutting opioid deaths in half, and bringing 100% renewable energy to their towns. I saw a vision of a brighter future and a better day."
"What I saw is such a contrast to what we see coming out of Washington every day. Reflecting on my travels and recognizing the incredible opportunity I have every day as an American mayor, I realized that this is what I am meant to do. This is where I want to be," Garcetti said. "I am so excited to finish the work that we have begun here in Los Angeles."
Garcetti, 47, was born in LA and raised in Encino, California. He is LA's first Jewish mayor, its second consecutive Mexican-American mayor, and the youngest person in LA history to hold that office. He received a Bachelor of Arts from Columbia University in 1992 and a master's degree in international affairs in 1993.
He met his wife, Amy Wakeland, at Oxford University when they were both Rhodes scholars. Garcetti also holds a Ph.D. in ethnicity and nationalism from the London School of Economics. He has one daughter with Wakeland.
Garcetti has previously said a presidential run would not distract him from his responsibilities as mayor, telling the Los Angeles Times, "One thing doesn’t affect the other."
Since then, the 2020 Democratic field has grown exponentially, and another California politician, Sen. Kamala Harris, has dominated the 2020 spotlight in the days since she announced her candidacy.
Read more:Here's everyone who has officially announced they're running for president in 2020
Garcetti made headlines in 2014 for announcing that the Los Angeles Police Department would no longer detain undocumented people with no judicial review.
That same year, Garcetti, along with Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter and Houston Mayor Annise Parker, cofounded the Mayors National Climate Action Agenda, which seeks to uphold the emissions goals of the Paris climate agreement and opposes the Trump administration's efforts to withdraw from the pact.
As the mayor of LA, Garcetti hasn't held back from criticizing Trump and his administration. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Garcetti called Trump the "ultimate caricature," saying he is racist, bigoted, and sexist during a conference call with reporters.
SEE ALSO: Here's everyone who has officially announced they're running for president in 2020
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: MSNBC host Chris Hayes thinks President Trump's stance on China is 'not at all crazy'