By Kevin Herrera
Daily Press Staff Writer

ST. ANNE’S CHURCH — City Council candidates Pam O’Connor and Terry O’Day failed to secure endorsements from the Santa Monica Democratic Club despite their strong support of the party’s progressive agenda.

Their fate seemed sealed from the outset of the three-hour meeting last Thursday, as neither was backed by the club’s executive committee, which interviewed each candidate for 20 minutes last month before recommending incumbent Kevin McKeown and education advocate Gleam Davis.

McKeown and Davis both secured at least 60 percent of the votes cast by club members, the threshold needed for an endorsement.

“I was surprised because there weren’t questions asked (by members) of the candidates that would show anything that was negative about them,” said Julie Lopez Dad, a member of the club’s executive committee. “I really expected other endorsements to be made.”

With three seats up for grabs on the council this November, two additional rounds of voting were held to see if some members would have a change of heart. Some feared that if they left two spots open, a less liberal candidate could be elected.

That concern wasn’t enough to fuel a comeback for either candidate, and therefore O’Connor and O’Day will not be featured in the club’s newsletter — distributed to roughly 1,400 households — nor appear in any mailers the club may sponsor in the coming months. Dad said the club is still considering whether or not to sponsor mailers, but it has done so in the past.

While not receiving the club’s endorsement may not be a significant blow to either candidate considering it is just one of many, having one’s name included in a mailer is something for which a candidate strives, political pundits said. This is particularly the case given Santa Monica’s strict campaign contribution laws, which severely restrict the amount of money a candidate can receive.

With costs for some campaigns reaching $60,000 to $100,000 or more, one mailer could go a long way in helping a candidate save money for other expenses, such as hosting fundraisers or hiring campaign workers for get-out-the-vote efforts.

O’Day, the son of an auto worker, was disappointed that he did not receive the club’s support. However, he said he was grateful for the opportunity to speak to members and share personal information as well as some of his plans for the future if elected.

“I think this was a real victory for us,” said O’Day, who has been endorsed by Democrats Bobby Kennedy Jr. and Los Angeles City Council members Alex Padilla and Eric Garcetti. “The fact that this was the first time many people have seen me speak and we received as much support as we did shows me that people see something they like about this campaign … I’m hoping that this is a sign of good things to come.”

While the race for City Council is non-partisan, Democrats dominate the ballot, which may be the reason the executive committee left two seats open, O’Connor said.

“It’s tough when you have that many Democrats running,” O’Connor said. “I was happy that (the executive committee) left two open spots, because for me that says there are a lot of good Democrats for people to choose from. That’s how I look at it.”

O’Connor said there are still endorsements to be secured from the Young Democratic Club and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party.

“You’re always hoping to get as many endorsements as you can, but you can never expect to get them all,” O’Connor said.

There are some who believe O’Connor failed to win the support of the club due to a perception of inaccessibility, whereas McKeown is seen as someone who is more visible in the community. O’Day may have suffered from a perceived lack of experience.

“Terry was new to the membership, so he hasn’t achieved that comfortability level of who he is and where he’s coming from,” Dad said. “Even though Pam has been a member of the club and made presentations as a member of the (Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority) board, I don’t think members feel she is accessible day-to-day. I don’t know if people have tried or what, but I think that was a big factor.”

In the race for four seats on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified school board, the club endorsed incumbents Emily Bloomfield and Oscar de la Torre, as well as newcomers Barry Snell and Kelly Pye. Board member Shane McLoud, the lone teacher serving on the board, lobbied for the endorsement but was unsuccessful.

“I value any opportunity to speak to people and share my ideas, and I look forward to speaking with residents of Santa Monica and Malibu on how we can improve our schools,” McLoud said following the vote.

In the race for four seats on the Santa Monica College board of trustees, the club endorsed incumbent Nancy Greenstein, former SMMUSD PTA president Louise Jaffe, SMC faculty member Andrew Walzer and former City Council member David Finkel.

The club endorsed three candidates for the Rent Control Board: incumbent Jennifer Kennedy, who is seeking re-election for the first time; Zelia Mollica; and Marilyn Korade-Wilson.