SMO — Santa Monica Mayor Richard Bloom will begin his bid for the State Assembly, District 41 with a fundraiser at the Santa Monica Art Studios on June 5.
The seat is currently held by former Santa Monica Board of Education member Julia Brownley, who will be termed out by the 2012 election. It covers the coast as far north as Port Hueneme, and is bordered on the west by Topanga State Park, and Santa Monica to the south.
When Brownley ran in 2006, she raised $700,000 to compete with her opponent’s $1.2 million.
Based on those figures, Bloom believes this primary and general elections, against an as of yet undetermined slate of candidates, could cost $1 million.
“It’s very daunting,” Bloom said. “I’m going to have to take the fundraising I’ve done locally to a new level.”
Bloom plans to focus his campaign on the collapsing state budget, education and the environment, three topics he feels resonate with local voters.
“It’s not a new issue, but it’s something that we need to address on a systemic level. It’s going to take individuals able to get beyond the polarization that exists in Sacramento,” Bloom said. “I made my mark here in Santa Monica and elsewhere helping to bring disparate points of view to resolution.”
He hopes he can convince voters he’ll be able to bring that success to the capital.
The fundraiser takes place at the Santa Monica Art Studios at SMO on June 5 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
