The 22-year-old daughter of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner has died, his campaign confirmed on Tuesday.
Emily Beutner died in a LA hospital on Jan. 6, according to the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner. No cause of death was revealed.
“My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter,” Austin Beutner said in a statement on Wednesday. “We ask for privacy and your prayers at this time.”
Austin Beutner, 65, announced his bid for mayor in October. He has formerly served as the first deputy mayor of LA between 2010 and 2013, and was superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2018 to 2021, leading the district through the COVID-19 pandemic. He also briefly worked as the publisher of The Los Angeles Times from 2014 to 2015.
In a statement, incumbent Mayor Karen Bass offered her condolences to her electoral opponent in the upcoming mayoral race.
“I am profoundly saddened by the news of the tragic passing of Austin Beutner’s daughter. There is no way to describe the depth of pain experienced by parents who have lost a child,” she said. “My heart is broken for the Beutner family, and I offer Austin, his wife Virginia, and their entire family my deepest condolences. I will hold them close in my heart, and I am ready to assist the family with whatever they might need.”
As of Wednesday, it’s not clear whether the death will affect Beutner’s candidacy. His campaign’s official X account has remained in the two weeks since Emily’s passing.
No additional details were immediately made available.
