The Romney family has been struck by tragedy after Carrie Elizabeth Romney, the 64-year-old sister-in-law of former presidential candidate and ex-Utah senator Mitt Romney, was found dead in what authorities describe as an apparent fall from a parking garage in Valencia, California.
According to Los Angeles County officials, Carrie was discovered around 8:30 p.m. Friday evening on a street near a shopping mall and the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Police say it’s still “unknown” whether she jumped or fell from the structure, but early reports suggest foul play is not suspected. Her car was later found parked inside the garage.
In a brief statement released Monday, Mitt Romney said, “Our family is heartbroken by the loss of Carrie, who brought warmth and love to all our lives. We ask for privacy during this difficult time.” The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office has listed her cause of death as “deferred” pending additional tests, though her body has been cleared for release to the family.
Carrie had recently gone through a painful and very public divorce from Mitt Romney’s older brother, George Scott Romney, 81 — a well-known Michigan attorney and the father of former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel. Scott filed for divorce in June after eight years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences. Court documents show that Carrie was seeking spousal support, which he opposed, and that he requested she revert to her maiden name, Carrie Elizabeth Dimas.
The two had married in November 2016, but largely kept their relationship private, avoiding social media and public appearances. Their split marked the end of Scott Romney’s third marriage.
Scott, who works as an attorney at Honigman Miller Schwartz and Cohn in Detroit, also serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards. He was a prominent supporter of his younger brother Mitt during the 2012 presidential campaign, often appearing at events and serving as a visible surrogate for the Romney family.
While the loss of Carrie has drawn sympathy from across political lines, the news also comes as Mitt Romney remains one of the most polarizing figures within the Republican Party. Once the GOP’s presidential standard-bearer in 2012, Romney has since alienated many conservatives with his repeated attacks on former President Donald Trump and his votes to convict Trump in both impeachment trials — the only Republican senator to do so.
Romney’s relationship with the conservative base has been strained ever since, particularly after his 2019 *Washington Post* op-ed in which he pledged to oppose what he called Trump’s “destructive statements.” Many in the MAGA movement now see Romney as emblematic of the old establishment wing of the GOP — the kind of politician who, in their eyes, too often bows to elite Washington sensibilities rather than the will of the voters.
Still, even Romney’s fiercest critics are offering condolences to his family in the wake of this personal loss. The sudden and tragic passing of Carrie Elizabeth Romney has reminded Americans that, beyond the partisan battles of Washington, moments of heartbreak transcend politics.
As investigators work to determine exactly what happened in Valencia, one thing remains certain — the Romneys, one of America’s most prominent political families, are grieving deeply, and the nation joins them in mourning.
