Councilman David Ryu

Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, announced on Monday that he will not run for the 34th Congressional seat, which will be vacated by Attorney General-select Xavier Becerra.

“After careful thought, it’s even more clear to me that my heart remains here in Los Angeles, in the neighborhoods and schools where I grew up, and with the diverse communities I have the honor of serving. Therefore, I will not seek the 34th Congressional seat,” Ryu said in a statement. “We all must defend the values that make Los Angeles a beacon of hope for so many and fight for a future that lifts up every single Angeleno. For me personally, that means serving the people of the 4th Council District and working as hard as I can as their city council member.”

If Becerra is confirmed, it will open a seat to represent California’s 34th Congressional District, which overlaps with the 4th Council District. Last week, Ryu’s communications director Estevan Montemayor confirmed that Ryu was considering running in a would-be special election to fill the vacancy.

“When the nomination of Xavier Becerra as our next state Attorney General created an unexpected vacancy, many community leaders urged me to consider running for Congress,” Ryu said. “Because the election of Donald Trump marked such a dramatic shift in direction for the nation, I felt obligated to consider how I might best serve.”

After Sen. Barbara Boxer announced her plan to retire, Attorney General Kamala Harris ran to replace Boxer and won. Gov. Jerry Brown announced two weeks ago that he will nominate Becerra to replace Harris.