Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti plans to announce on Tuesday that he will not run for president in 2020, according to Politico.
A source familiar with Garcetti’s plans confirmed that he would not enter the race. Garcetti’s advisers declined to comment.
Garcetti had said that he was considering a presidential bid, and he seemed to be laying the groundwork for a presidential run last year. He spearheaded a political action committee to raise money for state-level candidates, including in early primary states like South Carolina. He also visited places like Iowa, and stepped up his appearance in national media.
His political advisers scheduled a press conference for 5 p.m. PT at Los Angeles City Hall.
Garcetti was in Washington last week for a meeting of the United States Conference of Mayors, where he told members of the media to “stay tuned” when asked about his plans for 2020.
If he entered the race, Garcetti would have been a long shot candidate who would have to build name recognition. But some of his supporters believed he could have run on his record as a big city mayor, in a contrast to a field of members of Congress.
Garcetti was elected mayor of Los Angeles in 2013 and reelected overwhelmingly in 2017. Although he had indicated that he would make a decision during the holiday season, any announcement was delayed as Los Angeles went through a teachers’ strike, which was settled last week.