> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Dems make endorsements - URL: https://www.smdp.com/dems-make-endorsements/ - Published: 2008-09-04T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T20:55:15.000Z - Author: Melody Hanatani - Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless *Shriver fails to receive endorsement* WILSHIRE BOULEVARD City Council incumbent Bobby Shriver, whose famous political family long served as the face of the Democratic Party, failed to secure an endorsement from the local chapter despite receiving the nod from its executive committee last month. The decision, or indecision, came on Tuesday when the Santa Monica Democratic Club voted on the candidates they would back for the four local races in November, eventually supporting City Council incumbents Ken Genser and Richard Bloom. That left two open seats on the council without the club’s stamp of approval. Under the club’s bylaws, candidates must receive at least 60 percent of votes cast by members in order to be endorsed. Those who didn’t meet the threshold but garnered at least 20 percent were eligible for a second round and if unsuccessful again, for a final third round. Airport Commissioner Susan Hartley, Recreation and Parks Commissioner Ted Winter, and Shriver all received at least 20 percent and requested a second round of voting. Both Winterer and Shriver went onto the third round where they again failed to get at least 60 percent. The outcome came as a surprise considering that the club’s executive committee just a few weeks ago voted to recommend Shriver for an endorsement. Shriver said he had spent the past four years working on causes that he considered values to the Democratic Party, including advocating for homeless and veterans’ rights and fighting to clean the polluted Santa Monica Bay. He added that he doesn’t know any other group of Democrats who would’ve failed to endorse him, stressing that he would’ve received support based on his work and not his name or background. Shriver is the nephew of late President John F. Kennedy and is the brother-in-law to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. “I think it’s pretty shocking to me as a Democrat,” he said. There are 13 candidates who qualified to run for the council but only eight were considered for endorsements. Mayor Herb Katz, who is a member of the club, was not present because he wasn’t feeling well. Linda Armstrong, who has run for the council in the past and is also a club member, was also absent. Those in the mix included newcomers Michael Kovac and Herbert Silverstein, and Jerry Rubin, who co-founded the Santa Monica Treesavers with Hartley, who is an attorney. Sitting amongst signs that call for the end of the war and the election of Barack Obama, more than 60 local Democrats heard from candidates for the Board of Education, the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees and the Rent Control Board. Incumbent Joel Koury and Christopher Braun, who are running for the Rent Control Board, received endorsements by acclimation. College board incumbents Margaret Q. Quiñónez-Pérez, Susan Aminoff and Rob Rader also received the nod. School board candidates Ralph Mechur, who is running to fill the remaining two years on former member Emily Bloomfield’s seat, former UC Regent Ben Allen, and incumbents Maria Leon- Vazquez and Jose Escarce received endorsements. Escarce went through a second round of voting after narrowly missing the 60 percent mark and came out successful. It was a difference from when Escarce received the endorsement of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights last month. The two-term board member failed to secure the endorsement of the general membership during the convention by less than a percent. He later received support from the political group’s Steering Committee about a week later in a move that has been criticized by some members. Chris Bley, a school teacher in Brentwood who grew up in Santa Monica, did not receive an endorsement. “I’m obviously disappointed, especially with all the work and history I’ve done with the Democratic Party,” Bley said. “But I’m going to continue to work hard, continue to hit the streets and get people to know who I am and run a strong campaign.” Bley previously worked for three Democratic National Conventions from 1996-2004\. A sizable portion of the school board discussion surrounded the issues in the district’s special education department, which has come under fire by a group of parents and city officials over the past year. One member asked Escarce to talk about his involvement with the controversy, to which he apologized for previous decisions that he had made. “There are a number of policy decisions the board made and implemented by staff that have been misguided and should not have been implemented,” Escarce said. “My main goal right now is to contribute as much as I can and forcefully can to make special education better.” As expected, the City Council discussion touched on matters related to development and City Hall’s tree policy. Development has been a hot topic as of late. Residents this fall will be asked to vote on Proposition T, which seeks to limit commercial development in the city to 75,000 square feet a year. Among the most outspoken on both the ficus tree and development issues has been Hartley, who said she was disappointed to see the democratic club be “same ol’, same ol’” in endorsing two incumbents. “They’re supporting more growth and density and height and traffic as well as destruction of our urban forest,” she said. While the city’s residents tilt toward liberalism, the Democratic Club nomination could carry some weight in what could be a tight election. “For a lot of people in Santa Monica, one of the first questions you hear is are you a Democrat or a Republican?” Bloom said. “This is a heavily democratic city and (the endorsement) is very helpful, I’m happy to say.” *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 4, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090408.pdf?ref=smdp.com)