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LA Councilman Ryu joins ex-Assembly Speaker Perez in withdrawing from congressional race
FILE PHOTO: Los Angeles Councilman David Ryu announced he will not seek the 34th Congressional District seat being vacated by state attorney general nominee Xavier Becerra.
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Sharon McNary/KPCC
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FILE PHOTO: Assembly Speaker John Perez poses for a picture at the 2012 Democratic National Convention on Sept. 4, 2012.
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Kitty Felde/KPCC
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Los Angeles Councilman David Ryu has decided not to run for the 34th Congressional District being vacated by Rep. Xavier Becerra, who has been nominated for state attorney general.
Ryu announced his decision Monday on Twitter and his website.
"After careful thought, it's clear to me that my heart remains in L.A. I will not seek the #CD34 seat," Ryu said in a tweet. Ryu represents the City Council's 4th District, a seat covering Sherman Oaks to the Miracle Mile that he won in May 2015.
He joins John A. Perez, the former speaker of the California Assembly, who announced over the weekend he is pulling out of the race for the 34th district seat, according to a post on his official Facebook page.
An excerpt from Perez' posted statement reads:
The last 8 days have been a whirlwind in every sense of the term. I have been left in awe by the outpouring of support I have received from countless community members, grassroots activists, and friends I have spoken with in the past 8 days. In a short while, I have received more support and more good wishes than I could have imagined.
With all the good news, I also got confirmation that I have a health care situation that requires my immediate attention and my ongoing focus for the near term.
In the last 48 hours, I have spoken to doctors who have helped me determine the best course going forward.
As a result, I am immediately turning my focus to that, which prevents me from giving my campaign and the community the time and attention that are necessary to run a campaign our community can be proud of. As such, I am bringing my campaign to a close, despite the overwhelming support that I have seen.
Harris is headed to the U.S. Senate, taking over for Barbara Boxer, who is retiring.
This story has been updated.
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