Austin Beutner, a prominent figure in Los Angeles public life who has previously led both the city’s public school system and its largest newspaper, announced on Thursday that he is withdrawing from the mayoral race. He said the decision follows the devastating loss of his 22-year-old daughter, whose sudden death has left his family in deep mourning.

Beutner, 65, had once been an ally of Mayor Karen Bass but declared his candidacy in October, arguing that Los Angeles lacked clear direction after a catastrophic wildfire and as it prepared to host the 2028 Olympic Games. His departure from the race had been widely expected since his daughter’s death in January, and it comes just days before the city’s official deadline for filing mayoral candidacies on Saturday. His withdrawal is likely to reshape the political landscape and could strengthen Bass’s chances of reelection.

In a written statement, Beutner described his daughter Emily as an extraordinary and cherished presence in his family’s life. He said that the grief they are experiencing remains overwhelming and that running a successful campaign — let alone serving as mayor — requires full, unwavering commitment. He emphasized that his priority must now be his family.

The Los Angeles County medical examiner’s office has not yet released a cause of death. Beutner’s daughter, a junior majoring in the arts at Loyola Marymount University, was taken to a hospital by paramedics in the early hours of January 6 after a passerby reported seeing a woman in apparent medical distress along a highway near Palmdale, north of Los Angeles.

Her death occurred almost exactly one year after a massive wildfire tore through Pacific Palisades, the neighborhood where the Beutner family had lived for decades. Their home survived the flames but was left uninhabitable due to severe smoke contamination.

Before entering public service, Beutner built a career on Wall Street as an investment banker. He later became publisher of the Los Angeles Times and served as superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District. When he launched his mayoral campaign, he criticized Bass not only for her handling of the Palisades fire but also for what he described as broader failures in managing the city’s ongoing challenges.

He acknowledged Bass’s past achievements in the state legislature and in Congress but argued that governing Los Angeles required a different kind of leadership, one he believed the city currently lacked.

Beutner’s exit from the race had sparked speculation that other potential candidates might reconsider entering the contest. However, at least one prominent figure has ruled that out. Rick Caruso, a billionaire businessman who narrowly lost to Bass in the 2022 mayoral election, suggested earlier this week that he might rethink his decision not to run. But on Thursday, through a spokesperson, he confirmed that he would remain out of the race.

Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, whose district includes areas affected by the Palisades fire, indicated that she had been weighing a possible candidacy. Still, she expressed hesitation, noting that her current role already involves representing millions of residents and that an upcoming restructuring of county governance will soon create a powerful new leadership position comparable to a countywide mayor.

Mayor Bass, a nationally recognized Democrat seeking a second four-year term, faces challenges from both sides of the political spectrum. On the right, she is opposed by Spencer Pratt, a Republican reality television personality whose home was destroyed in the Palisades wildfire. On the left, she is being challenged by community organizer Rae Huang and by Adam Miller, a tech entrepreneur and co-founder of a nonprofit focused on homelessness and affordable housing.

Under Los Angeles election rules, a candidate can win outright by securing more than 50 percent of the vote in the June primary. If no one reaches that threshold, the top two vote-getters will advance to a runoff election in November.