Los Angeles mayoral candidate Austin Beutner announced Thursday that he is dropping out of the race following the tragic death of his 22-year-old daughter.
“My family has experienced the unimaginable loss of our beloved daughter Emily,” Beutner wrote in a statement posted on X. “She was a magical person, the light of our lives. We are still in mourning.”
The former Los Angeles Unified School District superintendent, who was seeking to unseat Mayor Karen Bass in the June 2026 election, lost his daughter on Jan. 6.
The cause of her death has not been released, and is listed as “deferred” on the LA County Coroner’s website.
Emily Beutner was found alone on the side of the road near the intersection of Sierra Highway and Technology Drive in Palmdale around 12:10 a.m. on Jan. 6, before being rushed to a hospital, The Post exclusively reported.
Firefighters said Emily Beutner was struggling to breathe when she was taken to the hospital, where she was later pronounced dead.
The 65-year-old businessman and former Los Angeles Times publisher said his campaign — and the job of mayor — “requires someone who is committed 24/7 to the job.”
“Family has always come first for me,” Beutner said. “That is where I need to be at this time.”
Beutner thanked supporters who joined his campaign and urged the public to respect his family’s privacy, while also highlighting the challenges facing the city.
“Los Angeles is a special place, but every day it’s becoming less affordable, less safe, and a more difficult place to live,” he said. “To solve these problems, new ideas are needed, along with leadership capable of implementing them.”
Incumbent LA Mayor Bass faces a wide field of challenges that includes former reality TV star Spencer Pratt, Democratic Socialist-backed candidate Rae Huang, tech entrepreneur Adam Miller and more than a dozen other contenders.
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Beutner’s decision to exit the race comes as several high-profile figures are weighing potential entries ahead of Saturday’s deadline to file for candidacy, further reshaping an already crowded field.
Real estate mogul Rick Caruso and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath have both signaled they may jump into the race following a bombshell report that detailed Mayor Bass’s role in downplaying the city’s response to the deadly Palisades Fire.
