As of early this morning, incumbent Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu holds about 48% of the vote in the District 4 race. His competitor Nithya Raman trails with about 36%, and a third candidate Sarah Kate Levy holds 15%.
The question in the District 4 race is whether or not Ryu will be forced to face a competitor in a runoff election this fall. He is being challenged in the primary by two well-organized, progressive competitors. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the vote in the primary election, then a runoff is held between the top two vote getters.
The central issue in the race is the homelessness crisis. As the crisis deepens, it potentially leaves incumbent politicians like Ryu vulnerable as voters grow increasingly angry.
District 4 is a good test of the theory, and whether or not voters are willing to buck the status quo. The district saw the largest increase in homelessness of any in Los Angeles in last year's homeless count, and all candidates have detailed policy proposals to address the problem.
