Fallen hopefuls brace for 2008 Council run
CITYWIDE After taking some time to lick their wounds and celebrate the holidays with their families, those who ran unsuccessful campaigns for the City Council back in November seem intent to jump back into the ring in 2008, with at least one former candidate already devising a strategy.
The next City Council race is shaping up much like the last one.
Most of the office-seekers reported learning some valuable lessons in 2006 and planned to work hard over the next two years establishing a name for themselves. Some will focus on campaign finance reform, homelessness and other issues that were cornerstones of campaigns, while others are planning to apply for vacant positions on commissions and boards to gain practical experience.
“Well, I run every two years, so you can bet that I will be back in 2008,”said Jonathan Mann, a flight attendant and substitute teacher who painted himself during the election as a ’60s radical fighting special interests and alleged corruption within City Hall. “I want to get at least two women to run with me on the same platform, but with campaign finance reform and term limits added.
I’m still supportive of the city providing free Wi-Fi, free Internet, which is a powerful tool.”
Mann, who received the lowest vote total of any candidates in 2006 with 1,631 votes (or 2.24 percent of total votes cast), believes term limits are important and will work to get the city charter amended so that more people can have the opportunity to serve.
“This election just reinforced for me the need to get rid of incumbency,” Mann said. “(Elected officials) are so certain they will get elected that they don’t listen to the public. They pretend to listen, but all they are really doing is representing the special interests.”
Mann, who was “angry” with voters for re-electing incumbents Kevin McKeown, Pam O’Connor and Bob Holbrook, pointed to the dominance of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, the city’s leading political party, which was able to elect every single candidate it endorsed except one, Gleam Davis, a candidate for City Council.
“I’m tired of the big lobby electing council members,” Mann said.“It’s almost impossible for a guy like me to get elected.”
Davis, a corporate attorney who finished fifth with 12.9 percent of the vote, and Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day, who finished fourth with 16.1 percent, could not be reached for comment.
Aside from the dominance of public employee unions and SMRR, Mann may have another obstacle to overcome in 2008 — housing. Mann said he is being forced out of his apartment in Ocean Park and is unsure if he will be able to find another one in Santa Monica that he can afford. If he’s forced to move outside the city, he cannot run for public office in Santa Monica.
“I’ve had to move three times before and that has only stopped me once from running,” Mann said. “I think I’ll be all right.”
Another candidate who has run for Council on multiple occasions and lost is Linda Armstrong, a computer data entry operator whose platform in the election focused primarily on housing homeless women and children.
“That’s the reason why I keep running... homelessness is really at an impasse.”
“It took a while to recover from the campaign, but I’m looking forward to 2008,” Armstrong said. “It was kind of strange, but I really got exhausted towards the end of the campaign.”
Armstrong finished towards the bottom of the pack with 1,815 votes, or 2.49 percent of total votes cast.
Armstrong said she is focused on going back to college to study physics and is working on drafting a change to the city charter that would increase the number of council seats from seven to 13.
“I think we need to give more people the opportunity to serve,” she said. “Those who continually get elected tend to not do anything innovative. Homeless is still a concern and I will try desperately to house as many women and children as possible.
While he is planning to run again in 2008, Terence Later is somewhat pleased that the election season has ended, allowing him more time to focus on his business interests.
A consultant in the entertainment industry, Later has been busy working in his latest venture, a technology that mirrors Karaoke in that it allows a person to step into their favorite film and pretend to be the main character by utilizing “green screen” technology.
“I’m just trying to get back into my daily routine, catching up with stuff that you have to put on hold somewhat during the campaign,” Later said. “I haven’t attended any (Council) meetings, but I have certainly kept my finger on the pulse of what is going on.”
Later said he has fond memories of the campaign, which put him in touch with many people he hadn’t seen since his elementary school days in Santa Monica.
Later, who received 2,606 votes, or 3.57 percent of total votes cast, said that, despite losing, he felt his campaign was successful because of the defeat of Proposition W, which opponents said would make it easier for elected officials to receive contributions from people who received a benefit from the council. Later campaigned against Prop. W.
“I would like to see people elected on merit, not because they did someone a favor,” Later said. “I learned so much from this process … and I believe we need new blood.”
Later, who ran for public office for the first time last year, said he will begin fundraising earlier in the election season next time and will look to be more hard hit-ting in the debates so as to expose the truth about his fellow candidate’s records.
“My campaign was and will continue to be about accountability,” Later said.
Another candidate who made his first run for public office was real estate agent Mark McLellan, a Florida native who now calls Santa Monica home.
McLellan earned 2,184 votes, or 3 percent of total votes cast.
“After the hectic, hub-bub of the campaign, I took some time off for vacation to kind of wind down and now, basically, I’m looking to get involved,” McLellan said. “I’m looking at the Planning Commission and a few other boards and things to see where I
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on January 30, 2007. Read the original PDF.