Former Irvine Vice Mayor Tammy Kim has withdrawn from the race for the District 5 City Council seat, she announced in a statement on February 7.
Kim emphasized that her decision was not influenced by the ongoing legal challenge questioning her candidacy eligibility. “My decision is not due to baseless legal challenges. I am qualified to run,” she stated, denying that the lawsuit prompted her withdrawal.
Kim said she made the decision after discussing it with her family on the night of February 6, explaining that she had grown exhausted from ongoing harassment that seemed never-ending. She further alleged that the lawsuit and political attacks against her were backed by lobbyists linked to Live Nation, a major entertainment company, claiming that they provided financial support for the lawsuit.
According to Kim, the plaintiffs in the lawsuit asked her to sign an affidavit as part of a settlement condition, which she refused. She released the affidavit, which included demands such as:
*False statements regarding City Council votes related to Live Nation
*Support for Anthony Kuo, one of her opponents in the District 5 race
*Prohibition from criticizing Live Nation, Kuo, and GOP-affiliated individuals involved in the lawsuit, including plaintiff Ron Scolesdang
Kim pointed out that the affidavit had no relevance to the lawsuit’s main issue—her residency in District 5.
The lawsuit was filed in late 2023 by Ron Scolesdang, a former Irvine mayoral candidate who lost in the November 2023 election, in which Kim was also a candidate. Scolesdang alleged that Kim resides in District 3, not District 5, and therefore should be disqualified from the race.
With Kim’s withdrawal, the April 15 District 5 City Council election will now be contested between candidates Anthony Kuo, Betty Franco, and Dana Cornelius.
BY SANGHWAN LIM, YOUNGNAM KIM [lim.sanghwan@koreadaily.com]
