Kenneth Mejia becomes 1st Filipino elected to hold L.A. citywide office

Accountant Kenneth Mejia declared victory in the Los Angeles-California controller race Tuesday night, becoming the city's first Filipino elected to a citywide office.

Mejia also shared his victory on his social media account with a caption:

"WE DID IT! WE WON BY 23 POINTS!

• FIRST CPA as City Controller
• FIRST Filipino elected official in LA
• FIRST AAPI citywide elected official
• FIRST POC as City Controller in over 100 years
more to come!"

Mejia won the election with 60.92% of the vote compared to his rival Paul Koretz's 39.08%.

"We have a very diverse population in L.A., and I feel very proud and honored to represent that community," said Mejia in an NBC News report.

"Coming from a minority background makes you more empathetic about the people you're fighting for," he added. — DVM, GMA Integrated News