Tragic Loss: Daughter of LA Mayoral Candidate Opposing Karen Bass Passes Away Unexpectedly

The daughter of a candidate in the Los Angeles mayoral race, who is competing against Karen Bass, has sadly passed away at the age of 22.

Emily Beutner, the daughter of Austin Beutner, died on January 6 at a Los Angeles hospital, according to records from the LA County Medical Examiner.

The cause of Emily’s death is currently labeled as “deferred” while the medical examiner conducts further investigation.

Austin Beutner, a Democrat and former first deputy mayor of Los Angeles, expressed his deep sorrow over the tragic loss of his daughter.

Beutner conveyed, “Our family is enduring the unimaginable loss of our cherished daughter. We kindly request privacy and your prayers during this difficult period,” as reported by the Daily Mail on Wednesday.

Karen Bass, who experienced her own family tragedy with the loss of her daughter and son-in-law in a car accident in 2006, expressed her condolences to Beutner on social media.

‘I am profoundly saddened by the news of the tragic passing of Austin Beutner’s daughter,’ she said. 

‘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.

Emily Beutner, the daughter of Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner, tragically died on January 6

The Democrat, who previously served as the first deputy mayor of Los Angeles, shared his unimaginable grief following the loss of his child. The two are pictured together 

‘I will hold them close in my heart, and I am ready to assist the family with whatever they might need.’

Beutner is set to challenge Bass in the June 2026 mayoral election. She has served since December 2022. 

Emily was the youngest of Beutner’s four children and attended Loyola Marymount University, the Los Angeles Times reported.  

Beutner’s most recent public mayoral event was on January 5, just a day before his daughter died. 

During that appearance, he held a news conference in Pacific Palisades and called on Bass to get to the bottom of what went wrong both during and after the disaster. 

Around 31 people died in the fire, and 13,000 homes were destroyed, including Beutner’s mother-in-law’s property. 

The father-of-four also suffered serious damage to his own home, leaving him and his family to live elsewhere at the time.  

Bass still faces sharp criticism for her handling of the disaster a year on. 

Beutner’s most recent public mayoral event was on January 5, just a day before his daughter died

Bass, who lost her daughter and son-in-law in a horrific car crash in 2006, took to social media to share her condolences for her opponent

It is unclear if the death of his daughter will affect his mayoral campaign. 

Before getting into local politics, Beutner worked at the US State Department when Bill Clinton was president. 

He also served as a the CEO and publisher of the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Union-Tribune. 

The politician served as the first deputy mayor of LA under Antonio Villaraigosa from 2010 to 2013. 

He later worked as superintendent for the Los Angeles Unified School District from 2018 to 2021. 

The Daily Mail contacted the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) for comment.