New faces on board for SMC and schools
CITYWIDE — The next term for School Board, Rent Control Board and Santa Monica College Board of Trustees will be filled with a number of new faces, according to unofficial election results.
With 11 percent of precincts reporting (as of 11 p.m. on Tuesday), the School Board will most likely see the return of incumbents Emily Bloomfield and Oscar de la Torre, and welcome newcomers Kelly McMahon Pye and Barry Snell.
Bloomfield lead the pack with 23 percent, followed by McMahon Pye who took 19 percent, de la Torre (18.6 percent) and Snell (18.4 percent). Incumbent Shane McLoud, a teacher, was a close fifth with 14 percent. Sidonie Smith, who dropped out of the race shortly after qualifying for the ballot, rounded out the list, garnering 7 percent of the votes cast.
With 11 percent of the precincts reporting, the SMC Board of Trustees will welcome back its only incumbent running for reelection — Chairwoman Nancy Greenstein, who held 22 percent of the vote on Tuesday. Greenstein will be joined by Louise Jaffe, a teacher, who had 20 percent of the vote, professor David Finkel (18 percent) and Los Angeles Community College professor Andrew Walzer (17 percent).
College Administrator Tom Donner was a close fifth, netting 15 percent of the vote, followed by Financial Advisor Susanna Kim Bracke (8 percent).
Santa Monicans for Renters Rights was on the verge of sweeping the Rent Control Board race, according to unofficial results, which shows incumbent and Chairwoman Jennifer Kennedy leading the pack with 28.4 percent, followed by retired educator Marilyn Korade/Wilson (28.2 percent) and Bookkeeper Zelia Mollica (25 percent).
Real Estate Broker Robert Kronovet, the lone non-SMRR endorsed candidate, was fourth, garnering 19 percent of Tuesday’s votes, as of press time.
Meanwhile, two years of campaigning seem to have paid off for State Assembly candidate Julia Brownley, who lead Tuesday’s election for the 41st District with 57 percent of the vote, with 9 percent of precincts reporting. The soon-to-be former School Board president had a comfortable 10-point lead in the early absentee ballots. “I’m very excited to have the honor and privilege to serve,” Brownley said.
“The mood is cautiously optimistic,” said Jaffe, who awaited results of the SMC Board election with friends and fellow candidates at a Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS) party hosted by Dennis and Lauri Crane at their residence on the 200 block of 12th Street.
The mood was jovial yet anxious at the CEPS party immediately after polls closed at 8 p.m. With the news coverage of the election blaring in the background and a delectable spread of food, candidates and their supporters chatted about not only local contests, but state and national elections as results started flowing in from the eastern states heading west.
“I feel very confident about being elected,” Jaffe said. “I’m anxious about the responsibilities that it entails.”
The feeling of confidence was lost on schools board candidate Snell early in the day, but returned as he joined his friends and supporters at the CEPS party. Snell realized he might not win when he cast his ballot ear-lier that day and did not see any familiar faces at his polling location.
“But now I’m here among friends and they tell me we have a chance because of the absentee,” Snell said.
The mood at the CEPS party mirrored the atmosphere at the SMRR party across town at their headquarters on the 500 block of Colorado Avenue.
Under the watchful eye of Rosie the Riveter and the slogan “We Can Do It,” SMRR-endorsed candidates and supporters kept their ears open for updates on results, conversing with one another about who they suspect will pull it out.
“Now it’s over,” said SMRR organizer Michael Tarbet. “We’re waiting for what we think will be good results.
“But you never know,” he said. A group of supporters huddled around a television, watching NBC’s coverage of the election on how the Democrats were slowly gaining ground on their Republican opponents in the congressional elections. After a long day of campaigning, other supporters were busy stuffing their mouths.
“It’s been quite an experience,” said rent control candidate Mollica. “I hope all three of us [Kennedy and Korade/Wilson] win. If I don’t win, I will continue to work with Renter’s Rights through LA Voice, where I am a board member.”
Standing in front of a sign for the rent control candidates reading, “vote for champs,” Kennedy said she feels very confident about her reelection.
Not all candidates spent their time at the party. Before he headed over to SMRR headquarters, Walzer spent two hours practicing yoga. McLoud hosted a small gathering of friends at his house, but not before pitching in a softball game at Memorial Park, across the street from the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District headquarters.
Campaign hopefuls were out in full force hours before polls closed to remind residents to vote and to sway any last-minute undecideds.
Many candidates said their last-minute campaign efforts meant handing out literature and making reminder phone calls to residents who previously pledged their support.
“Now, we’re ensuring that they make it happen,” said de la Torre, whose volunteers made hundreds of calls to residents.
Some candidates took the day off, like Greenstein, who is the director of police community services at UCLA. Walzer, on the other hand, continued his normal routine and taught classes at Los Angeles City College. Meanwhile, his volunteers followed up with voters who had pledged their support during his door-to-door campaign in 15 precincts. Pye was in high spirits Tuesday afternoon while she made calls and handed out fliers to voters. She planned to vote with her son in her presence to exhibit the election process.
“I like him to see me vote to be involved in the process,” Pye said.
Volunteers working on the Kronovet campaign were also busy making reminder phone calls to residents and offering rides to the polls. Aside from campaigning, Kronovet spent some time gardening, painting, and relaxing the final hours.
“We feel pretty good about it,” Kronovet said. “We think we can bring a minority voice and balanced government.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 8, 2006. Read the original PDF.