Attorney Grace Yoo, who is running to become the first Korean American female city council member representing Koreatown in the upcoming November LA City Council District 10 election, has officially launched her campaign fundraising efforts.

On the 21st, Yoo's campaign held a press conference at the Rotex Hotel in Koreatown, Los Angeles, to announce the start of the "1004 Campaign."

The City of Los Angeles operates a "matching funds" program that allows financially underfunded candidates to participate in elections competitively. Under this program, the city government provides additional funds based on a certain percentage of the amount donated by supporters to a specific candidate. Yoo's campaign explained, "For donations over $230 from individual donors residing in LA, the city will match up to $774. When combined, this will allow us to secure a total of $1,004, which will be a great help."

Yoo is challenging incumbent City Council Member Heather Hutt in the upcoming November election. As a first-time candidate running against an incumbent, it is crucial for her to secure sufficient campaign funds. Given the encouraging results from recent polls, there is optimism that with adequate funding, her chances of winning are strong.

According to a poll conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research from July 22 to 29 with 459 District 10 voters, Yoo and Hutt are in a close race. In a follow-up survey conducted after respondents were exposed to negative information about both candidates, Grace Yoo led with 46% support compared to Heather Hutt's 34%, giving Yoo a 12 percentage point advantage. The polling agency predicts that Yoo has a good chance of winning the run-off election in November against the incumbent city council member.

According to Yoo's campaign, the maximum amount of support that can be matched by the city government for a city council candidate in this year's election is $217,000.

So far, Yoo has raised approximately $150,000, excluding matching funds. She needs to raise an additional $333,000 to secure the $217,000 in matching funds, which will allow her to reach the campaign goal of $700,000.

"The more campaign funds we have, the greater the likelihood of becoming the first Korean American city council member representing the largest Koreatown in the United States. Please be an 'angel' (1004 in Korean) for Grace Yoo," she urged. Yoo also emphasized the need for volunteers to assist with phone banking, door-to-door visits, messaging, postcard writing, and voter registration, and called for the attention of the Korean American community.

A Korean supporter who attended the fundraising event stated, "Koreatown, which represents America, should now be represented by a Korean politician. If all Korean Americans exercise their precious vote in this election, we can send Grace Yoo to the city council."

For donations and volunteer inquiries, call (424) 777-3692.

<Hyungseok Han>