LA Council District 4 Election: Nithya Raman, David Ryu In Race

LOS ANGELES, CA — The battle for Council District 4 between David Ryu and Nithya Raman is finally coming to a close as voters make their voices heard.

Ryu 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."

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.

Stay tuned to Patch on Election Day for results.

Still need to cast your vote? Find out where to drop off your mail ballot or find your polling place.

Want to double-check that your mail ballot has been received? Track it here.