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# Thanks to voters, rent control lives on
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/thanks-to-voters-rent-control-lives-on/
- Published: 2008-06-05T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-24T19:47:11.000Z
- Author: Melody Hanatani
- Tags: Government & Politics, Malibu, #archive-import

*Pavley beats Levine in run for senate seat PAVLEY TO REPRESENT DEMS IN NOVEMBER*

CITYWIDE The Santa Monica tenants rights faction is celebrating after a statewide ballot measure they deemed would ultimately abolish rent control protections was defeated in the California primary election on Tuesday.

Two competing ballot measures — Propositions 98 and 99 — faced off in the primaries, both of which sought to restrict eminent domain, one of which would have phased out rent control statewide, the other coming out victorious.

California had a low-turnout for the June 3 primary, including in Los Angeles County which saw only 18 percent of registered voters cast a ballot.

The winner — Prop. 99 — makes it illegal for governments to seize homes for private developers, the measure drafted in Among the victors on Tuesday was former Assemblywoman Fran Pavley who captured the democratic ticket for the state Senate race in the 23rd district, beating out Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D- Woodland Hills). The 23rd District includes the San Fernando Valley and parts of the Westside, including Santa Monica and Malibu.

Pavley, the first mayor of Agoura hills and long-time school teacher, captured 66 percent of the vote to Levine’s 33 percent. She will face Rick Montaine, a republican from Calabasas, in November.

“I ran to be able to return to Sacramento and continue to work on serious policy issues affecting California,” Pavley, who termed out of the assembly in 2006, said. The Agoura Hills resident has spent the past two years campaigning for the Senate seat while working for the Natural Resources Defense Council as a senior climate advisor and at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research as a distinguished fellow.

She doesn’t anticipate a tough race against Montaine in November, pointing out the small percentage of republicans in the San Fernando Valley.

“This is an overwhelmingly democratic district,” she said.

Pavley, 59, held a celebration in Malibu on Tuesday night, an event attended by several hundred people.

She was endorsed by current state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, for whom Pavley is vying to replace.

Levine will be termed out at the end of the year. He defeated Montaine for the 40th Assembly District in 2006\. “I’m disappointed,” Levine said. “I really love this job and wanted the opportunity to keep doing it.”

Levine said he will determine over the next few days what his next steps will be, hoping in some capacity to remain in public service. The 38-year-old environmental advocate plans to endorse Pavley.

“It was a tough battle but I hold no ill will towards her and I hope she doesn’t hold ill will towards me,” Levine said.

For more election results, including District Attorney Steve Cooley’s landslide victory, visit vote.sos.ca.gov or rrccmain.co.la.ca.us/.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 5, 2008.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/060508.pdf?ref=smdp.com)