Rick Caruso: A Sleeping Giant in the California Governor’s Race
no. 55
Commentary — In the arena of California politics, where ambition and wealth often collide with the dreams of a restless electorate, a new chapter seems poised to unfold. With Vice President Kamala Harris stepping back from the 2026 gubernatorial race and Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis, a seasoned politician and diplomat since 2019, turning her sights to the state treasurer’s office, a question looms large: will Rick Caruso, the billionaire developer whose name evokes both luxury and controversy, seize this moment to claim the governor’s mansion?
Caruso is no stranger to the political stage, though his debut was marked by defeat. In the 2022 Los Angeles mayoral race, he poured over $100 million of his personal fortune into a campaign that promised pragmatic solutions to crime, homelessness, and corruption—issues that pulse through the veins of California’s cities. Despite his efforts, he fell to Karen Bass by seven points, garnering 420,030 votes to her 509,994. Yet, as the Los Angeles Times observes, Caruso’s political odyssey is far from over. His path now forks toward two possibilities: a rematch with Bass or a bold leap toward Sacramento.
What makes Caruso a figure to watch is not merely his wealth but his chameleon-like political journey. As Julie Wick of the Los Angeles Times notes, Rick Caruso’s journey through party allegiances is a serpentine road like the state’s famed Pacific Coast Highway. Long known as a Republican through much of his life, he first drifted from that mooring in 2011, registering as “decline to state” while contemplating a bid for Los Angeles mayor in 2013.
By late January 2022, with the mayoral race looming, he anchored himself to the Democratic Party, a swift change made mere weeks before filing his candidacy. Less noticed, yet no less telling, is the interlude when Caruso returned to Republican ranks in March 2016, as documented by the Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office.
He held that course until November 2019, when he once again embraced “no party preference.” Over eleven years, this real estate titan has shifted his political colors four times—twice between Republican and independent, before donning Democratic blue—a chameleon’s path that mirrors the restless ambition of a man poised to reshape (Los Angeles or) California’s future.
According to Wick’s article, when pressed on this prior to his run for Los Angeles Mayor, Caruso declared, “I’m a Democrat, and I’m proud to be a Democrat,” dismissing voter concern with a wave of his hand. “What fascinates me is that we’re even having this conversation because the electorate, the voters in the city don’t care about this. What the voters of the city care about is crime and homelessness and corruption.”
This fluidity, critics argue, betrays opportunism; supporters, however, may see a man unbound by party dogma, free to address California’s woes with a businessman’s clarity. Caruso, whose real estate empire includes glittering landmarks like the Grove and the Americana at Brand, has the resources to reshape the race.
As KTLA News reports, a recent Emerson College Poll gave Caruso 4% support as an undeclared candidate for governor—a modest but telling figure. Fellow Democrat Katy Porter’s 18% in the same poll, along with Republicans Steve Hilton at 12% and Chad Bianco at 7%, appear optimistic—but 38% of voters remain undecided. Caruso’s wealth grants him the luxury of time, a rare commodity in politics. While others scramble to fill war chests, he has spent months on a quiet listening tour, consulting tech entrepreneurs and political donors, probing the state’s pulse on issues from housing to public safety.
The 2026 race, with its open field, offers Caruso a stage to disrupt. California’s electorate, as evidenced by the 38.3% who backed Donald Trump in 2024, is not wholly wedded to Democratic orthodoxy. And Caruso’s moderate stance and successful business background could draw Republicans, independents, and maybe even “never red” Democrats wanting a change but wary of candidates like Hilton or Bianco.
His 4% in the polls, though slight, hints at potential, and a formal declaration could siphon votes from rivals and tap the vast pool of undecideds. Whether he aims for City Hall or the statehouse, his campaign would not merely compete—it would redefine the contest, making rivals’ coffers seem like petty cash.
SOURCES | BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ballotpedia. “Rick Caruso.” https://ballotpedia.org/Rick_Caruso.
KTLA News. “California Governor Race 2026: Poll.” https://ktla.com/news/california-politics/california-governor-race-2026-poll/.
Luhar, Harmeet, and Sophia Bollag. “Rick Caruso Weighs Run for California Governor after Harris Declines.” Politico. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/03/rick-caruso-california-governor-kamala-harris-not-running-00489348.
Los Angeles Times. “Rick Caruso Looks to Restart Political Career with Possible 2026 Run for Governor.” July 31, 2025. https://enewspaper.latimes.com/infinity/article_share.aspx?guid=45269d1a-c83d-413b-8c92-47412d43019e.
Politico. “2024 California Election Results.” https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/california/.