Councilman Congratulates Nithya Raman On Win, Final Count Pending

LOS ANGELES, CA — Nithya Raman continues to hold a slight lead over incumbent David Ryu in the race for Los Angeles City Council District 4. When results were last updated at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Raman led the incumbent Ryu by slightly less than 5 percentage points, or 5,602 votes. (Scroll for real-time results as they roll in.)

We're not yet sure how many votes need to be counted, as late-arriving and provisional ballots still need to be accounted for. Without declaring victory, Raman said she was happy with the initial results.

"This is a moment of hope," Raman said in a prepared statement. "While we are still waiting on the full results, there is absolutely no doubt that progress won in Los Angeles last night. The incredible victories by the movements for radical, carceral, environmental and housing justice will reverberate throughout our city for years to come."

Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents District 8 on Los Angeles City Council, congratulated Raman on her victory as final results were still being tallied.

"Congratulating & welcoming Nithya Raman to the Los Angeles City Council. As a lifelong organizer, I appreciate how @nithyavraman energized & inspired everyday people to mobilize around progressive issues. I look forward to working with you to make LA a more fair & equitable City."

Congratulating & welcoming Nithya Raman to the Los Angeles City Council. As a lifelong organizer, I appreciate how @nithyavraman energized & inspired everyday people to mobilize around progressive issues. I look forward to working with you to make LA a more fair & equitable City. pic.twitter.com/TsdRs0jgA1
— Marqueece Harris-Dawson (@mhdcd8) November 5, 2020

Ryu gave an update to his supporters during a virtual Election Night briefing as the votes began to roll in.

"This job, and my entire life, have been about serving the people of this city," he said. "No matter what happens in this election, I promise you that I will never stop serving my city and I will never stop fighting for what is right. This campaign has never been about me. It has been about us, and the city that we can build together."

The incumbent won the primary election by four percentage points, but failed to reach the 50% threshold to clinch re-election outright. He will become only the second council incumbent since 2000 to face a runoff, following a fierce grassroots campaign by Raman.

The race has surged into the national spotlight in recent months, and has become increasingly contentious as attention poured in. In an October 21 debate, Ryu incorrectly accused Raman of wanting to cut 98% of the police budget, which she flatly denied.

"What I want to see is a comprehensive audit of how we're spending our police budget right now in Los Angeles, and a reallocation of our resources away from armed officers in situations where they are not appropriate," Raman said in a campaign video. "Through that reallocation, we can build a truly safe city for all."

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In a recent attack ad, Ryu accused Raman of taking corporate donations and developer money, which she has also denied.

"Every time we do our quarterly reports, we look at every individual who has given us a donation, to make sure they're not involved with businesses that are trying to seek influence at City Hall," Raman said. "When we find those potential conflicts, we give that money back."

Ryu first entered City Hall in 2015, then a political newcomer who became the first Korean-American to be elected to the Los Angeles City Council. Since then, he has worked to expand housing options for people experiencing homelessness, and helped push through a bill limiting campaign donations from real estate developers, although some said there were too many loopholes for it to truly be effective.

This time around, Raman is the new face, entering the race after leaving her previous position as Executive Director of Time's Up Entertainment. An urban planner and Silver Lake resident, Raman previously graduated from Harvard and earned a Master's degree from MIT.

She is also a longtime activist in the fight against homelessness, having started the SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition in 2017.

Both candidates are running on a platform aimed at addressing homelessness, reimagining policing, and reversing climate change. Raman is generally considered to be the more progressive candidate, while Ryu has attracted a relatively moderate support base.

In October, Bernie Sanders endorsed Raman in a Medium article titled "Building and Strengthening Our Movement Around the Country."

"We need to continue building and strengthening our movement from the ground up by electing more progressives to state and local positions," he wrote. "Because the truth is that the victories we accomplish in this election will lay the groundwork for the future of our political revolution. With just 25 days to go, these candidates are counting on our support."

A few days later, Ryu announced that former Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had endorsed him in the race for CD4.

"I can't tell you what an honor it is to have a trailblazer, icon and the first woman to win the popular vote for President of the United States on #TeamRyu," the councilman wrote.

SCROLL TO FIND RESULTS for this race in real-time below (They are sorted alphabetically by city.)

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