OLYMPIC HIGH SCHOOL — Nearly 200 members of Santa Monica’s ruling political party packed the auditorium here Sunday to select their crop of candidates for the municipal election in November.
While a democratic process complete with campaign speeches and secret ballots, the nearly four-hour-meeting of Santa Monicans for Renters Rights (SMRR) lacked suspense, playing more like a political rally as members enthusiastically threw their support behind experienced veterans and a handful of promising rookies with strong ties to SMRR.
Most of the endorsements were uncontested, including those for the City Council and the Rent Control Board. However, some competition arose when members were asked to vote for the school board and the Santa Monica College board of trustees, where candidates seeking endorsements outnumbered the seats available, pitting members against each other.
In the end, disappointed candidates who failed to secure an endorsement put the defeat behind them and joined their rent-control brethren in speaking with a singular voice. Their message was clear: Get out the vote on Nov. 7 and place a SMRR majority on every dais in the city.
SMRR has the power to do just that, boasting a membership of roughly 5,000 residents, each with the ability to donate $250 to the cause and go door-to-door in search of more support for the organization’s slate of candidates. A SMRR endorsement also includes placement on a slate mailer, which can often cost $17,000 to print and deliver to an estimated 35,000 households.
SMRR will need to run an aggressive campaign as the hospitality industry and business community looks to challenge the organization’s dominance. Formed in 1978 in support of the city’s rent control law, SMRR has secured a majority on the City Council for most of the last three decades.
“I don’t know of any grass-roots organization in America that can replicate your passion … dedication year after year after year,” said Denny Zane, a co-founder of SMRR who helped facilitate the convention, SMRR’s 15th in nearly 30 years.
The importance of securing a SMRR endorsement in a city with strict limits on campaign fundraising was evident before the start of the convention, as candidates were seen lobbying members for votes while their supporters passed out colorful campaign stickers.
Inside the stuffy auditorium, members were seen using campaign literature to fan themselves as they held up their ballots, anxiously awaiting volunteers to come by and collect them. Once all the ballots were in, members milled about waiting for the results. Some worked the room chatting up old friends, while others chose to snag water bottles and snacks.
Those successful include many familiar names to voters. Incumbents Kevin McKeown and his colleague Pam O’Connor were selected as SMRR candidates for the City Council. As was newcomer Gleam Davis, an education advocate with the backing of Community for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), an influential community group that pressured City Hall into spending roughly $6 million a year on local schools.
With only three council seats open and 16 people pulling papers to run, it is expected to be a highly contested race. SMRR is trying to unseat Mayor Bob Holbrook, a pharmacist with many years in public service.
O’Connor fought off a late charge to have her kicked off the SMRR slate. That effort was lead by another community group, Santa Monicans for a Livable City, which pointed to campaign contributions O’Connor received from Macerich Co. executives during the time when the operator of Santa Monica Place presented a radical renovation of the property, which would have included three high-rise buildings.
“I want to make it clear that my vote on the Macerich proposal was ‘no,’” O’Connor told fellow SMRR members.
O’Connor said she should gain the SMRR vote not only because of her strong record of protecting renters’ rights and affordable housing, but also because she has a strong chance of becoming the chair of the MTA board during a time when the public transportation agency is considering extending a light-rail line to Santa Monica from downtown Los Angeles.
O’Connor received 109 votes of the 166 cast for City Council candidates. McKeown received 154 votes, and Davis 139.
For the Rent Control Board, in which there are three open seats, members saw no need for ballots, instead offering a voice vote for incumbent Jennifer Kennedy, who is seeking a second term; Zelia Mollica, a Santa Monica resident for 37 years and founder of the Renters Empowerment Zone, which seeks to survey renters and advocate for repairs; and Marilyn Korade Wilson, a 23-year renter in Santa Monica and SMRR hot-line volunteer.
“I’ve seen good people leave Santa Monica solely because of economic reasons,” Mollica said.“They simply couldn’t afford to live here anymore, and that’s a shame. I am a strong believer in social justice and diversity in our city.”
In the race for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School Board, where there are four open seats, incumbents Oscar de la Torre and Emily Bloomfield secured SMRR’s backing, albeit without receiving the highest vote totals.
That distinction belonged to Kelly Pye and Barry Snell, who earned 127 and 126 votes, respectively. The two fresh faces seem to represent the future of SMRR, particularly Snell, a new member of the organization who is known in the education community for his work on closing the achievement gap for students of color. When Snell’s name was read during the vote tally, his supporters, including many family members, screamed with joy.
“I understand what it means to be separate but equal,” Snell said, referring to the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education, in which segregation in public schools was ruled unconstitutional. “I will fight for equality in our schools and make sure that every child has an equal opportunity to learn.”
As for SMC and the four available trustee seats,incumbent Nancy Greenstein was joined by three strong contenders with respect in the education community. They included Louise Jaffe, an education advocate endorsed by state legislators from Santa Monica as well as outgoing trustee Dorothy Morrison; Andrew Walzer, a former faculty member at SMC; and David Finkel, an adjunct professor at SMC and former presiding judge of the Santa Monica Municipal Court.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 7, 2006. Read the original PDF.