Austin Beutner, who is currently running for Mayor of Los Angeles, is dealing with the “unimaginable loss” of his young daughter.
Beutner’s daughter, Emily, died on January 6 in Los Angeles, according to records provided by the LA County Medical Examiner. She was 22 years old.
LA mayoral hopeful Austin Beutner’s daughter Emily has died. Emily Beutner/Facebook“My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter. We ask for privacy and your prayers at this time,” Austin told The Post.
Emily’s official cause of death is currently listed as “deferred” pending further investigation from the medical examiner.
“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. My heart is broken for the Beutner family, and I offer Austin, his wife Virginia, and their entire family my deepest condolences,” said Mayor Karen Bass.
“I will hold them close in my heart, and I am ready to assist the family with whatever they might need.”
A heartbroken Beutner called the death an “unimaginable loss” for the family. APDespite the tragedy, Beutner’s campaign still appears to be on track, with regular postings on his official account on X.
“Thanks Rick for all that you’ve done and continue to do in our community, including your leadership with Steadfast LA supporting fire victims,” the account wrote in response to Rick Caruso’s announcement that he would not be seeking the office of LA Mayor or CA Governor on Jan. 16.
Emily Beautner was 22. Emily Beutner/FacebookBeutner served as the first deputy mayor of Los Angeles under Antonio Villaraigosa from 2010 through 2013. He later headed the Los Angeles Unified School District as superintendent from 2018 to 2021, notably guiding the nation’s second-largest school system through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before entering city politics, Beutner worked at the U.S. State Department under President Bill Clinton, where he led a team focused on Russia’s transition to a market economy following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He then moved into finance, becoming an investment banker and co-founding the financial services firm Evercore Partners. Later, he served as publisher and CEO of the Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune.
Since leaving LAUSD, Beutner has championed Proposition 28, a statewide ballot measure requiring California to spend about $1 billion annually on arts and music education, and has aligned with school unions in legal action against Los Angeles Unified over its handling of the measure, according to POLITICO.
