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# Chamber positioning itself for next year’s election
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/chamber-positioning-itself-for-next-years-election/
- Published: 2003-11-29T16:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T03:17:03.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*By Daily Press staff*

Local chamber of commerce officials are quietly gearing up for next year’s election by meeting behind closed doors to discuss their strategy for endorsing City Council candidates.

The chamber, which has never endorsed City Council candidates, established this year a political action committee that’s charged with finding office seekers for 2004 who will advocate for business owners’ interests. Committee members met last week, but closed off the session from the public and the press. Tom Larmore, a committee member, said the group is just beginning to brainstorm ideas. He asked a reporter to leave before the meeting began so committee members could feel free to discuss their ideas without publicity.

The chamber has for years attempted to protect businesses, but its members frequently butt heads with policy makers in City Hall. The majority of City Council are members of Santa Monicans For Renters Rights, a liberal and powerful political party in the city.

As a result, the chamber’s interests don’t become priority and are in the minority when it comes to local politics, business owners say.

However, if candidates can be propped up with the help of the chamber’s endorsement and fundraising, the organization may be able to put some of its own in office and make some changes in Santa Monica, business owners hope.

Board members plan to establish the process in which to select city council candidates. In the next few months, the political action committee will start looking at other chambers to see how they endorse and raise money for candidates. The committee will then develop its own guidelines about campaigning, raising money and identifying candidates.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on November 29, 2003.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/112903.pdf?ref=smdp.com)