LaBonge Trounces Challengers in 3-Way Race

Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge avoided a runoff election Tuesday, winning more than 50 percent of the votes cast in a three-way race for Council District 4 against businessman Tomas O'Grady and producer Stephen Box.

With 100 percent of ballots counted by Wednesday morning, LaBonge received 55 percent of the vote, with O’Grady getting 31 percent and Box 14 percent.

LaBonge's victory will keep him in office for a third consecutive four-year term, his last due to term limits.

The strong support LaBonge received from voters came despite endorsements his challengers garnered from the city's major newspapers. Box was endorsed by the Los Angeles Daily News and O’Grady was endorsed by the Los Angeles Times.

At his election night party at Lucy's El Adobe restaurant near Paramount Studios on Melrose Avenue, LaBonge credited his victory to the time he spent meeting with constituents rather than at City Hall.

“I'm in the communities of this district and of this city,” LaBonge told supporters.  “And I think that's why people responded positively towards me at this point.”

LaBonge—whose district includes Hollywood, Los Feliz, Koreatown, Toluca Lake and Studio City—said he plans to continue his work on pet causes such as bike paths along the Los Angeles River, the Universal Expansion project and dealing with the massive city deficit.

O'Grady, a native of Ireland, waited for the election returns with supporters at his Los Feliz home.

"It really doesn’t matter what the results are," O'Grady said. "It’s just amazing that you can come from a farm in the west of Ireland, you can somehow arrive in Los Angeles, you can run for political office, you can open up the L.A. Times on a Sunday morning and see your name there. It’s just amazing. You have no idea what that feels like."

Box watched results come in with supporters at his campaign headquarters near Hollywood Boulevard and Western Avenue. He said he would not give a concession speech. 

As he thanked his supporters, he likened his campaign to a journey that united people.

“I like to think in many ways journeys don’t have beginnings or ends," Box said. “People that were at odds with each other found something to grab ahold of, and I think that’s perhaps a really rewarding thing that I’m walking away with is that we can move forward significantly."