First Korean American Elected to Los Angeles City Council

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The city of Los Angeles will have its first Korean American councilman when health center public affairs director David Ryu is sworn in to succeed Councilman Tom LaBonge.

Ryu, who will be sworn in on July 1, defeated LaBonge's Chief of Staff, Carolyn Ramsay, with 53.85 percent to her 46.14 percent in Tuesday's election, according to unofficial results released by the City Clerk's office, to represent the city's Fourth District, which stretches from Sherman Oaks, through Hollywood and Griffith Park and into Hancock Park and the Miracle Mile area.

The City Hall newcomer made a surprisingly strong showing in the March primary election and won the backing of the Los Angeles County Democratic Party. Ramsay, on the other hand, was endorsed by Mayor Eric Garcetti and a majority of council members.

Ryu carried the torch of political outsider, cashing in on popular themes of rejecting campaign donations from developers and accusing LaBonge of misusing discretionary funds. His website touts that he has "never been part of the crowd at City Hall," although he served as a deputy to then-county Supervisor Yvonne Burke.

LaBonge was barred from running for re-election because of term limits.

(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)