Mayor of Los Angeles

The office of Alcalde, the Mayor of El Pueblo de la Reina de los Ángeles, was established in 1781 and elected annually without the right to reelection for two years.{{cite web|url=https://www.scgsgenealogy.com/free/media/los-angeles-under-the-spanish-flag-wmason.pdf|title=Los Angeles Under The Spanish Flag: Spain's New World|author=Mason, William M.|website=Southern California Genealogical Society|year=2004}}Caughey, John and LaRee Caughey. Los Angeles: Biography of a City. Berkeley, University of California Press, 1977. 74. {{ISBN|0-520-03410-4}}"Alcalde" and "Ayuntamiento" in Pitt, Leonard and Dale PItt. Los Angeles A to Z: An Encyclopedia of the City and County. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997. 11 and 33. {{ISBN|0-520-20274-0}} In 1841, the office of alcalde was abolished, instead being replaced by two Jueces de Paz (Justice of the peace). In 1844, the office of alcalde was restored but kept the two officials.{{cite web|url=https://www.laalmanac.com/government/gl11.php|title=Los Angeles City Mayors Past to Present|website=Los Angeles Almanac}} When California was conquered and Los Angeles came under the United States, the office name was changed to Mayor.

Los Angeles has a council form of government, giving the mayor the position of chief executive of the city.{{cite web|url=https://spectrumnews1.com/ca/la-west/inside-the-issues/2022/02/25/how-much-power-does-the-mayor-of-la-really-have-|title=How much power does the mayor of LA really have?|author=Wesler, Ariel|date=February 25, 2022|website=Spectrum News 1}} The mayor appoints general managers and commissioners, removes officials from city posts, and proposes a yearly budget.{{cite web|url=https://laist.com/news/politics/2022-los-angeles-inauguration-mayor-karen-bass-explainer-powers-homelessness|title=LA Explained: With A New Mayor In Town, What Powers Does Bass Actually Have?|author=Hernández, Caitlin|website=LAist|date=December 12, 2022}} Most of the mayor's appointments and proposals are subject to approval by the City Council. The mayor also has the power to veto or approve certain City Council actions, though the City Council can override the Mayor's veto with a two-thirds vote.{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/us/los-angeles-mayor-eric-garcetti.html|title=What Does the Mayor of Los Angeles Do?|author=Cowan, Jill|date= July 13, 2021 |website=The New York Times}}{{cite news|url=https://www.lamag.com/citythinkblog/your-guide-to-power-in-la/|title=Your Guide to Power in L.A.|website=Los Angeles|author= Sonenshein, Raphael|date= February 21, 2013}}

The organization of the mayor's office changes with each new administration, but is almost always governed by a chief of staff, deputy chief of staff, director of communications, and several deputy mayors. Each mayor organizes their office into different offices, usually containing the Los Angeles Housing Team, Los Angeles Business Team, International Trade Office, Mayor's Volunteer Corps, and Office of Immigrant Affairs, among other divisions.{{cite web|url=https://www.kcrw.com/news/articles/how-much-power-does-the-mayor-of-l-a-have|title=How much power does the mayor of L.A. have?|date=March 24, 2013|author=Gonzelez, Saul|website=KCRW}}

The mayor has an office in the Los Angeles City Hall and resides at the mayor's mansion, Getty House, located in Windsor Square. As of 2020, the mayor received a salary of $248,141.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamandrzejewski/2020/12/17/why-los-angeles-is-in-trouble--average-pay-for-20000-highly-compensated-city-employees-nears-150000/?sh=4529b7657333|title=Why Los Angeles Is In Trouble – Average Pay For 20,000 Highly Compensated City Employees Nears $150,000|author=Andrzejewski, Adam|website=Forbes}}

The mayor is subject to recall by registered voters if at least 15 percent of eligible voters sign a recall petition within 120 days of the first day of circulation. If the petition is successful, a special election is held asking whether the incumbent should be removed and who among a list of candidates should replace the incumbent. If the recall is successful, the replacement candidate with the majority of votes succeeds the ousted incumbent. If no replacement candidate receives a majority of the votes, a special runoff election is held between the top two candidates.

If the mayor resigns, the City Charter gives the Los Angeles City Council the power to appoint an interim mayor through the end of the term and/or the power to call a special election.{{cite news |last=Martin |first= Erika| url=https://ktla.com/news/local-news/what-happens-if-eric-garcetti-resigns-as-l-a-mayor-thats-for-city-council-to-decide/|newspaper= KTLA|date=May 26, 2021 |title=What happens if Eric Garcetti resigns as L.A. mayor? It’s up to City Council to decide |accessdate= |via=}}

The mayor is elected to a four-year term, with a limit of two consecutive terms, and is officially nonpartisan by state law, although most mayoral candidates identify a party preference.{{cite web|title=Los Angeles City Charter, Vol I, Article IV|url=http://www.amlegal.com/library/ca/losangeles.shtml|publisher=Americal Legal Publishing Corporation|access-date=November 16, 2014}}[http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.const/.article_2 California Constitution, Article II, Section 6] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101008203818/http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/.const/.article_2 |date=2010-10-08 }}

The mayor is elected in a citywide election and follows a two-round system.{{cite web|url=https://lachamber.com/newsletters/the-business-perspective/a-vote-for-saving-money-and-increasing-voter-turnout/|title=A Vote for Saving Money and Increasing Voter Turnout|author= Toebben, Gary L.|date= May 20, 2008 |website=Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce}} The first round of the election is called the primary election, with the candidate receiving a majority of the vote in the primary is elected outright. If no candidate receives a majority, the top two candidates advance to a runoff election, called the general election. The city charter allows for write-in candidates for the primary election, but not for the runoff in the general election.

Elections for mayor were held in odd-numbered years from 1909 until 2017. In October 2014, the Los Angeles City Council recommended consolidating city elections with gubernatorial and presidential elections in even-numbered years in an effort to increase turnout.{{cite news|last1=Walton|first1=Alice|title=Proposal to move Los Angeles elections passes key committee|url=http://www.scpr.org/news/2014/10/17/47453/proposal-to-move-los-angeles-elections-passes-key/|access-date=November 16, 2014|publisher=KPCC|date=October 17, 2014}}{{cite news|last1=Saillant|first1=Catherine|title=Effort would consolidate L.A. elections with state and federal voting|url=http://www.latimes.com/local/cityhall/la-me-city-voting-20150116-story.html|access-date=February 26, 2015|agency=Los Angeles Times|date=January 15, 2015}} On March 3, 2015, voters passed a charter amendment to extend the term of the mayor elected in 2017 to five and a half years. From 2022 and onward, mayoral elections will be consolidated with the statewide gubernatorial elections held every four years.{{cite news|title=Hoping to Boost Dismal Turnouts, L.A. Votes to Change Election Dates|url=http://www.kcet.org/news/agenda/elections/hoping-to-boost-dismal-turnouts-la-votes-to-change-election-dates.html|access-date=March 14, 2015|agency=City News Service|publisher=KCET|date=March 4, 2015}}

The most recent election was held in November 2022. Politician Karen Bass defeated businessman Rick Caruso.

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