Los Angeles City Council candidate David Ryu has collected last-minute endorsements ahead of Tuesday’s runoff election.
Ryu, who is running to succeed termed-out Councilmember Tom LaBonge in Council District 4, on Monday received an endorsement from “Under the Hollywood Sign,” a history and filmmaking blog authored by writer/director Hope Anderson.
Anderson, who has been critical of LaBonge and council candidate Carolyn Ramsay, his former chief of staff, wrote, “Readers of this blog will recall posts describing the massive influx of tourists into Beachwood Canyon, a residential bottleneck with no facilities to accommodate them. This state of affairs is the pet project of Councilman LaBonge, who has been relentless in turning the Canyon – and Hollywoodland in particular – into a free Disneyland/gym/public toilet for the entire world …
“Happily, we have an alternative: David Ryu, a community health director who is untainted by scandal and refreshingly – unlike the rest of the City Council – has promised not to take developers’ money. He is our best chance for positive change, which is why I am endorsing him today.”
Ryu, who has also accused LaBonge of misusing discretionary funds, has positioned himself as a political outsider.
“It’s David vs. Goliath and the slingshot is in your hands,” he told his supporters. “This isn’t the first time a David stood up against heavy odds. And ballots are even better than slingshots for beating giants.”
On May 13, former council candidate Sheila Irani announced her endorsement of Ryu. Irani was one of 14 candidates in the March primary, which resulted in a runoff between Ryu and Ramsay.
“I find that David’s ethics are unwavering and he has a deep love for this city and a commitment to public service that I admire greatly,” said Irani, who is a former member of LaBonge’s staff.
In its April 28 endorsement of Ryu, The Los Feliz Ledger said, “Ryu spent six years working under former Los Angeles County Supervisor Yvonne Burke, and in that capacity crunched numbers as an assistant budget deputy, including reviewing and creating efficiencies for a $24 billion budget. Such experience is a plus right now, as the city so desperately needs to triage how to best spend taxpayer’s money.
“Still, even with this political experience, his opponent, former LaBonge Chief of Staff Carolyn Ramsay, has pointed out many times it will take Ryu some time to learn his way around City Hall. That may be true, but we feel the potential for change that Ryu promises is worth the wait.”
Another former council candidate, Jay Beeber, officially announced his endorsement of Ryu on April 16.
“I have thought long and hard about this decision and after detailed discussions with both candidates and observing the two debates this week in Sherman Oaks, I have come to the conclusion that David Ryu is our best hope to bring fundamental change to City Hall,” Beeber said. “I ran for City Council to bring a common-sense approach and fresh ideas to city government and I believe that of the two contenders, David is more likely to produce the change we so desperately need.”
“I am honored to have Jay Beeber’s endorsement,” Ryu said. “We are both committed to putting neighborhoods first and making sure the Valley, specially Sherman Oaks, gets its fair share. I am excited to have Jay on my team and we are ready to get to work for CD4.”
Ryu’s endorsers include California Treasurer John Chiang, California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Board of Equalization member Fiona Ma, Los Angeles County Democratic Party, Democratic Party of San Fernando Valley, California Democratic Party, Democrats for Israel, and Korean American Democratic Club.
Ramsay has the backing of Mayor Eric Garcetti, 13 members of the City Council, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Rep. Karen Bass, Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, State Controller Betty Yee, The Los Angeles Times, The Los Angeles Daily News, The Larchmont Chronicle, and Park La Brea News and Beverly Press, among others.
Garcetti praised Ramsay’s “15 years of experience and track record of bringing residents, local businesses, and community leaders together to solve problems and protect the character of our neighborhoods.”
If elected, Ryu would be the second Asian American to serve on the council and the first Korean American.