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# Hold on to your political hats
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/hold-on-to-your-political-hats/
- Published: 2006-07-31T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-25T00:25:06.000Z
- Author: Bill Bauer
- Tags: Opinion, Santa Monica, #archive-import, Homelessness

Eighteen people have “pulled papers” to run for City Council.

As expected, all three incumbents have obtained documents required for filing as a candidate for office. Kevin McKeown is seeking a third term, Pam O’Connor is going for four and Robert Holbrook is running for five. The election is November 7.

The incumbents have served eight, 12 and 16 years, respectively. The big question this year is: “Do the voters want change?”

Nothing has really changed much the last four years.The issues are the same -- homelessness, traffic, parking and development. While there’s grumbling and complaining, I don’t see many residents clamoring for new blood.

There are nagging issues such as violence in the Pico Neighborhood, but the predominant thinking is the city and the Santa Monica Police are doing all they can to make Pico safer and more livable. Short of an all-out gang war, major incident or nasty scandal, I predict all three incumbents will ultimately be reelected.

The major pre-election event is the annual Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights congress, scheduled for Sunday, August 6\. SMRR always runs strong candidates and this year will be no exception.

McKeown’s a lock. Rumors abound that Pam O’Connor will get dumped, but I say “no way.”

A female councilperson is good for at least 5,000 votes at election time. SMRR leadership is too smart to blow off thousands of votes by not supporting O’Connor. If she isn’t endorsed, she said she’ll run anyway and pull votes away from SMRR’s slate.

Nevertheless, there are two challengers who could make for a rousing congress. Gleam Davis, who ran unsuccessfully for School Board in 2000 has already received an endorsement from Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS). Davis, a Harvard graduate and corporate attorney for telecommunications giant AT&T, is bright and articulate. With the backing of CEPS and potential election day votes from thousands of school supporters in her pocket, she should receive SMRR’s blessing.

Detractors say she’s a “one-issue person” and that issue is school funding. I’m willing to bet she gets up to speed on the other issues and it’s going to be interesting to hear her points of view.

If O’Connor is booted, SMRR could endorse old favorites such as Maria Loya or Patricia Hoffman, who both ran unsuccessfully in 2004, but who have not pulled papers for 2006 (as of this writing).

Planning Commissioner Terry O’Day has already benefited from a “get out your checkbooks” business community meet-and-greet at Shutters Hotel two weeks ago. Although press reports say that O’Day will seek SMRR’s endorsement, I can’t see them supporting anyone enthusiastically supported by their avowed enemy — the “anti-living wage” business community.

Also, O’Day is tight with former City Councilman, Michael Feinstein. Both are both strong pro-environmentalists. Feinstein’s squabbles with McKeown and SMRR Co-chair, Denny Zane will not help O’Day in SMRR’s arena.

O’Day will be the flag-bearer for the business interests. Members of the Chamber of Commerce Political Action Committee and the owners of Shutters and Casa Del Mar hotels, via their front, “Santa Monicans for Sensible Priorities,” are banking everything that O’Day will unseat McKeown.

O’Day and Holbrook promise to run their own independent races, Still, special interests will spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on glossy mailers promoting O’Day and Holbrook, just as they did two years ago for councilmen Bobby Shriver and Herb Katz.

Two political newcomers — real estate broker Mark McLellan, and Daily Press columnist and event planner Jenna Linnekens — are also seeking business interest support, although it’s unclear whether the business interests will even back a third candidate. Hold on to your political hats, the race is just beginning. (Bill Bauer)

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 31, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/073106.pdf?ref=smdp.com)