Brett Morrow is a public health professional and current Chair of the Human Services Commission, running on an "equity-driven" platform. His campaign emphasizes the needs of working families and labor, seeking to leverage his administrative experience to improve affordability.
Position summaries:
Homelessness: Morrow supports the SaMo Bridge diversion program and advocates for expanding regional partnerships to stabilize the unhoused population. He emphasizes the importance of stable funding and expanding language accessibility and service hours for these initiatives.
Crime & Public Safety: He believes in addressing root causes through prevention while supporting visible, community-based policing to improve perceptions of safety. Morrow argues for a balanced approach that makes streets safer for families without sacrificing the city’s progressive values.
Housing Construction: His strategy prioritizes density along low-density commercial boulevards and general commercial zones to increase the housing stock. He is an "incrementalist" regarding residential areas, preferring to see how current mandates pencil out before pursuing further upzoning.
Economic Recovery: Morrow proposes supporting the economy through childcare subsidies for workers and exploring subsidized rental models for small businesses. He identifies the high cost of childcare as a primary barrier to economic stability for Santa Monica’s resident workforce.
Governmental Philosophy: His philosophy centers on connecting policy development to deep community engagement and simplifying government communication. He believes the city must operate in "plain language" to ensure all residents can navigate municipal bureaucracy and participate in democracy.
Qualifications & Narrative
Morrow serves as the Chief Communications Officer for the LA County Department of Public Health, a role that places him at the intersection of policy, operations, and community engagement. His career in public service spans the federal and county levels, including significant work in wildfire response and environmental hazard mitigation, such as lead paint removal. A renter and father of a young daughter, Morrow has been an activist in Democratic politics for over 25 years. He frames his candidacy as an extension of his work getting resources to populations that typically receive them last, stressing that his motivation is based on issues rather than ego. Morrow is particularly proud of his work consulting on the inception of SaMo Bridge, advocating for the stability of its funding. He believes his experience navigating complex public processes and coordinating across multiple agencies is the exact skill set required for a functioning City Council.