Race for local governing seats is underway
By JOHN F. MULLER Special to the Daily Press
CITY HALL — With four days left before candidates can file nomination papers, all four City Council incumbents up for reelection have made it clear they will run for another term.
While several potential candidates have considered running against the incumbents, the field of opposition has remained largely unclear. For the first time ever, a Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce political action committee will endorse candidates who will run against incumbents — a move that could change a political landscape that has been dominated by the Santa Monicans for Renter’s Rights group for 25 years.
Mayor Richard Bloom announced this week he would seek a third term. Bloom has sat on the City Council since 1999.
“There’s a personal reason and a public reason (I’m running for reelection),” Bloom said. “The work that we’ve been doing is really ongoing work so there are a lot of things that remain undone that I’ve been involved in. Personally, I feel that the work I do on the council is really gratifying work.”
Councilmen Ken Genser and Herb Katz also said that they would seek another term. Councilman Michael Feinstein was unavailable for comment, but he has begun fundraising for the upcoming election.
Bloom said he wants to continue working to promote affordable housing and social justice in Santa Monica, as well as sustain the city’s commitment to education. He also stressed the city’s need to address homelessness through a 10-year plan that involves more than 80 people within Los Angeles County.
Bloom said he hopes his contributions over the past five years will make positive change more attainable in the years to come.
“I’ve helped provide leadership for the city to help get us through the budget crunch,” Bloom said. “I think I’ve helped to foster a collaborative environment between the members of the City Council and the members of the public.
“I’m really proud of the work we’ve done expanding our park system and all that that brings to the community,” he said. “I’m proud of the work we’ve done and really cognizant of the work that needs to be done on affordable housing, social justice and sustaining our commitment to education, which is going to require that we keep the city fiscally sound and financially strong.”
Genser said he will focus on improving city planning and education if reelected. Genser has been on the City Council since 1988. “We’re going to be looking at our land-use policies to make them more compatible with the city the people want to have,” Genser said. “Also, I think we need to keep increasing the amount of open space we have in the city and do whatever we can to preserve affordable housing.”
Katz reserved his comments for a July 12 official statement. He served on the City Council from 1984 to 1992 before he was elected to a third term in 2000. Feinstein has been on the City Council since 1996.
Education advocate Matt Dinolfo, a doctor at UCLA Healthcare in Santa Monica, will make a run at a council seat. Dinolfo may be endorsed by the chamber. He ran unsuccessfully in 2002.
Jerry Rubin, who officially changed his name earlier this year to “Jerry Peace Activist Rubin,” will join Dinolfo in the race. Rubin, a fixture at public meetings and community gatherings, has twice run for local office unsuccessfully.
Among those reportedly considering entering the race are local school board members Julia Brownley and Maria Leon- Vasquez, as well as former board member Patricia Hoffman. Both Pico neighborhood activist Maria Loya and Tom Viscount of the Red Cross said they are considering runs.
Abby Arnold, who missed getting a seat by less than 300 votes in 2002, said she will sit out of the 2004 race. Arnold lost despite SMRR backing.
“I’d like to wait until there’s an open seat,” Arnold said. “My supporters are disappointed that I’m not running again this year, but I think I have to wait... We need to have some opportunities to get some new people on city council, but to do that we’ll need to get some incumbents to retire one of these years.”
The chamber will decide which candidates it will endorse in late August or early September, said Tom Larmore, who heads the chamber’s political action committee. The chamber announced its decision to support candidates in February. It has traditionally been at odds with the SMRR-dominated City Council. Larmore said there had been a “pretty good turnout” of alternative candidates seeking the committee’s backing.
Potential candidates must file nomination papers between July 12 and Aug. 9. For a candidate to qualify for the Nov. 2 election, he or she must file the signatures of at least 100 registered voters.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 8, 2004. Read the original PDF.