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# Campaign crusades
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/campaign-crusades/
- Published: 2006-09-29T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:28:13.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Government & Politics, Malibu, #archive-import

*BACKING UP: Local candidates seek to secure support*

CITYWIDE — The campaigns of City Council incumbents Bob Holbrook and Kevin McKeown received a significant boost this week with each earning the endorsements of police and firefighters.

City Council member Pam O’Connor secured the support of the Santa Monica Police Officers Association (SMPOA) while Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day will be backed by Santa Monica Fire Fighters, Local 1109, heading into election day.

The Chamber of Commerce also made endorsements this week for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Board race and the Santa Monica College board of trustees.

For school board, the chamber is backing incumbents Emily Bloomfield and Shane McLoud, along with Kelly Pye and Barry Snell. For the college board, the chamber elected to endorse just three of the candidates for an available four seats — former SMC finance director Tom Donner, SMC co-chair Nancy Greenstein and education advocate Louise Jaffe.

There are three seats open on the City Council, and four seats apiece for the school board and SMC board of trustees. The election is Nov. 7.

Last week, the firefighters political election committee held interviews with all 10 City Council candidates.

Each were given 20 minutes to talk about their qualifications and to answer questions relevant to issues that affect firefighters and their ability to perform their duties, said Brad Lomas, president of the union.

“We felt that Kevin McKeown and Bob Holbrook are the strongest incumbents who have given us unwavering support in the past,” Lomas said. “They have always been there for us … and what impressed us the most about Terry O’Day is his well-rounded reputation on the Planning Commission as a consensus builder. He’ll be an excellent City Council member.”

The SMPOA followed a similar format, hosting a series of interviews and meetings with the candidates, said Jay Trisler, chairman of the association.

“Track records show that Mayor Bob Holbrook, Kevin McKeown and Pam O’Connor will continue to give the police department the tools it needs to deal with terrorism, gang violence, substance abuse and overall crime and quality-of-life issues,”Trisler said. “These candidates have shown that they have the experience needed to deal with the wide variety of issues facing our community.”

Holbrook, McKeown and O’Connor have also been endorsed by the Santa Monica Municipal Employees Association.

Meanwhile, chamber chairman John Bohn said the business community’s endorsements are “an important way the chamber supports education.”

“Providing for the schools means making sure they have the leadership they need to succeed,” Bohn added. “All of the candidates we have endorsed will serve this community well.”

All education candidates, except McLoud and Donner, were endorsed by Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR), the ruling political party in Santa Monica, which has oftentimes been at odds with the chamber.

The fact that the chamber endorsed SMRR candidates shows “the chamber looks at what is best for the school system,” Bohn said. “Who SMRR endorses is not a factor.”

Those who were endorsed welcomed the support and felt honored to receive recognition for the work they’ve done in the community. Each of the candidates expressed gratitude.

With the endorsements comes significant campaign cash, as the firefighters and police look to raise money to help elect their candidates. Members of the chamber said they too will help candidates raise funds and will campaign on their behalf.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 29, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/092906.pdf?ref=smdp.com)