Hundreds of mayors from across the country have converged on Long Beach as the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors kicked off on Thursday, June 4.
The four-day conference, which will run through Sunday, June 7, at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center, brings together hundreds of bipartisan mayors for discussion and sessions, presided over by USCM President David Holt, mayor of Oklahoma City, and hosted by Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson.
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is the official nonpartisan organization of cities with populations of at least 30,000 people, according to its website. There are more than 1,500 such cities in the country today, and each is represented in the conference by its mayor.
This year, more than 200 mayors were expected to attend to discuss pressing issues facing cities, such as housing affordability, public safety, artificial intelligence and data centers, local-federal partnerships, immigration policy, and infrastructure investment, according to a press release. Mayors will also debate and adopt policy resolutions that guide the organization’s federal advocacy work for the coming year.
It was announced in 2024 that Long Beach would host the conference this year. Richardson, who serves on the USCM Advisory Board and has participated in the organization’s event in the past, previously said that Long Beach hosting the annual meeting will be an important opportunity for the city to show off its leadership on homelessness, climate, infrastructure and economic development policy.
The 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors has arrived in Long Beach at the Convention Center from Thursday, June 4, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson (center) at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Oklahoma City Mayor and USCM President David Holt (center) at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Oklahoma City Mayor and USCM President David Holt, joined by mayors from across the country, at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
San Diego Mayor and USCM Vice President Todd Gloria (center) at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Lincoln, Nebraska, Mayor and USCM Second Vice President Leirion Gaylor Baird (center) at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
Oklahoma City Mayor and USCM President David Holt at a press conference kicking off the 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at the Long Beach Convention Center. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors has arrived in Long Beach at the Convention Center from Thursday, June 4, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
The 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors has arrived in Long Beach at the Convention Center from Thursday, June 4, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
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The 94th annual U.S. Conference of Mayors has arrived in Long Beach at the Convention Center from Thursday, June 4, to Sunday, June 7, 2026. (Photo by Christina Merino, Press-Telegram/SCNG)
“When mayors gather, we bring practical solutions and a focus on results,” Richardson said during a Thursday press conference. “We don’t just talk about what’s possible; we go to work. That is the power of coming together as the United States Conference of Mayors and Long Beach is proud to host this conversation.”
The meeting will have seven plenary sessions and more than 50 breakout sessions, all of which provide mayors access to experts and best practices, Holt said.
During the press conference, USCM Vice President Todd Gloria, mayor of San Diego, and Second Vice President Leirion Gaylor Baird, mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska, also delivered remarks highlighting the organization’s focus on housing, and garnering support for the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act – a bipartisan legislative packaged passed by the House of Representatives that aims to tackle the housing and affordability crisis across the nation.
“Many of us have been hard at work alongside our colleagues and community partners, cutting red tape, dedicating local funds, innovating solutions,” Gloria said, “and using every tool in our toolbox to help lower costs of housing for our constituents.”
Mayors will also experience Long Beach’s vibe, Holt added, such as visiting landmarks like the Aquarium of the Pacific and the Queen Mary, as well as seeing performances from the city’s very own Sublime, Warren G, Pancho Sanchez and Snoop Dogg.
“Mayors work together in our cities and between ourselves, and we get things done,” Holt said during the press conference. “No one else in American politics is as visionary as we are. No one else brings people together like we do, and no one else works together like we do on a bipartisan basis.
“You are looking at Republicans, Democrats and independents standing shoulder to shoulder, united in support of America’s cities,” Holt added. “In a world where too many political leaders and political parties are morally bankrupt and intellectually exhausted, mayors are a breath of fresh air.”