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# Dozen candidates vie for seats on Council
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/dozen-candidates-vie-for-seats-on-council/
- Published: 2006-08-12T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T21:09:54.000Z
- Author: Kevin Herrera
- Tags: Government & Politics, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homeless

*Seats up for grabs*

CITY HALL — And then there were 12.

Out of the starting gates, 23 City Council hopefuls pulled nomination papers last month to qualify for the Nov. 7 ballot. However, in the wake of rejection, family issues and political missteps, just 12 returned them, according to the City Clerk’s Office.

Incumbents Pam O’Connor, Bob Holbrook and Kevin McKeown were among those returning papers by the deadline; as well as education advocate Gleam Davis; Linda Armstrong, a former candidate for the council in 2004; Mark McLellan, a real estate broker; Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day; Jenna Linnekens, an event planner; political activist Vincent Garofalo; Jonathan Mann, a past council candidate; Kevin James; and Terence Later.

Friday was the deadline to file, with each prospective candidate required to submit at least 100 valid signatures from Santa Monica voters. Those who failed to do so are out of the running, unless they requested an extension. That deadline is Aug. 16.

Three City Council seats are up for grabs. Those who have turned in their homework now must wait until sometime next week — likely Tuesday afternoon — to find out if they’ve made the grade, meaning the required signatures gathered are legit.

Those who have made the cut so far include Armstrong, who is running on a platform dedicated to helping homeless women get off the street, while hooking up youngsters with early education opportunities. She is joined by Mann, a former teacher with the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District.

Speaking of the school district, in which four seats are for the taking this election, all three incumbents — Emily Bloomfield, Shane McLoud and Oscar de la Torre — submitted their papers on time and are awaiting certification. Bloomfield and de la Torre secured the highly coveted endorsement of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights, as did challengers Barry Snell, a single parent of three, and Kelly Pye, an education activist. Snell and Pye have yet to file, according to the City Clerk’s Office.

On the Rent Control Board, where there are three seats available, incumbent Jennifer Kennedy, a SMRR candidate, appears on her way to securing a second term. She was joined by two SMRR-backed hopefuls, Zelia Mollica and Marilyn Korade-Wilson. They will face off against Robert Kronovet, whose petition has been certified.

Last but not least, the Santa Monica College board of trustees, where incumbent and long-time SMRR member Nancy Greenstein filed papers along with education advocate Louise Jaffe, who is also endorsed by SMRR. They are the only two, as of Friday, to file nomination papers. Andrew Walzer and David Finkel, also SMRR-backed candidates, have yet to file, in addition to Thomas Donner, former interim president of the college and chief business officer.

Four seats are available in that race. Gathering signatures was an ordeal for some candidates, given the city’s strong political alliances and a large contingent of renters, many who are not registered in the city.

“It was hard,”said O’Day, who collected 155 signatures and is running for the council for the first time. “It was definitely a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. I found a lot of people who didn’t live in Santa Monica … and others who were really passionate about who they wanted to vote for. It was nice though to get out in the community and talk to voters, hear their concerns.”

Other prospective candidates, in particular incumbents and those with strong ties to community groups, had less trouble. O’Connor, who is seeking her fourth term on the council,said she had the luxury of taking time off to call friends and colleagues to see if they would sign up.Her brother-in-law also stood outside a local grocery store, in which he encountered those who supported O’Connor, those who felt she was just too liberal,and others who had never heard of her before. She also had friends circulate petitions on her behalf.

“It’s really about the network you have and that comes from working in the community,” O’Connor said. “Someone on a board or commission could have a strong network as someone from the PTA. I think it just depends on how active you are.”

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 12, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/081206.pdf?ref=smdp.com)