Supporters of Grace Yoo publicly expressed their endorsement at a press conference on February 2 at Yoo's campaign office in Koreatown.
As the March 3 primary elections for city council are drawing closer, candidates have been actively campaigning for support in their respective districts, including Grace Yoo, who is running for the position in District 10.
Bernard Parks, the current Councilmember for District 8 and former Los Angeles Police Department Chief, publicly showed his support for Grace Yoo at a press conference with Korean media on Feb. 2.
“We don’t need another member who will just follow the herd,” Parks said. “We need someone to question and bring up important issues to the table. I believe Grace will do that. I endorse her 110 percent and look forward to seeing her in office.”
Others who expressed their endorsement for Yoo included Ruben Hernandez, the President of the Unification of Disabled Latin Americans (UDLA); William Min and Alex Cha, both who are Korean attorneys and community leader in Koreatown; and Hyepin Im, the president of the Korean Churches for Community Development (KCCD).
Cha, Im, and Yoo publicly worked together in the recent redistricting incident, and many of them emphasized at the press conference the need for the voice of Koreatown to be represented at city council.
“I want to be the voice of all of Koreatown,” Yoo said. “I’m running because so many voices in CD10 have been neglected. People are hurting, and they want the city to work for them. It’s time to take our seat at the table and let our voice be heard.”
Other candidates for District 10 include incumbent Councilmember Herb Wesson, who is running for reelection, and Delaney Smith, a physician and theologian.
Community organizers in Koreatown argue that Wesson, who is also the LA City Council President, redrew the city’s district boundaries to make District 10 more inclusive to the African American population for his advantage, at the cost of breaking up Koreatown into several district, reducing its voting power. Wesson has denied the assertion.
Smith has been emphasizing his background in medicine and health care in his campaign, including his experience being trained in Cedars Sinai Medical Center, and his degrees in Pharmacy. He also is known as a theologian as he participated in the National Baptist Convention and taught biblical studies at American Baptist College.
Many see Yoo's campaign as a long shot against Wesson, who the Los Angeles Times called "a formidable fundraiser and tactician." Yoo said that she would need about 8,000 votes to secure a victory. So far, she has raised $70,000, while her fundraising goal was initially set to $200,000.
If elected, Yoo would be the first Asian American woman and the second Asian American to take office in LA City Council. The first and only Asian American to have been on LA City Council is Mike Woo, who took office 30 years ago. David Ryu is another Asian American candidate running for LA City Council for the March 3 primaries, specifically for District 4.
