March 21--Final tallies in the close race to represent a Los Angeles City Council district that extends from Sherman Oaks to the Miracle Mile show council aide Carolyn Ramsay and community health center development director David Ryu headed for a May runoff.
In a tight contest for second place and a chance to face Ramsay, Ryu finished 207 votes ahead of nonprofit director Tomas O'Grady, who placed third.
The race was widely seen as the most unpredictable contest on the March ballot. Fourteen candidates competed for the seat in this month's primary, splitting a relatively small number of votes. Election officials said Friday that turnout in L.A. totaled less than 11%.
Ryu has presented himself as an independent voice not connected to City Hall, while Ramsay has promoted her experience as chief of staff to termed-out Councilman Tom LaBonge. Ramsay has been endorsed by LaBonge and other City Hall figures, including council President Herb Wesson. However, Ryu recently picked up the endorsement of the county Democratic Party.
The two were the biggest fundraisers in the race, with Ryu collecting more than $413,000 and benefiting from an independent committee that spent roughly $53,000 on his behalf. Ramsay raised about $302,000.
The runoff election between the two candidates is scheduled for May 19.
