The nomination period for local offices has officially closed with 13 individuals running for Council, three for Rent Control Board, eight for School Board and five for SMC Board.
Individuals who want to run for office can still do so if they qualify as a write in candidate between Sept. 12 and Oct. 25. Write-in candidates have to fulfill the same criteria as those whose name will appear on the ballot, including gathering 100 signatures from registered voters.
Individuals submitting paperwork for three seats on City Council are: Whitney Bain, Albin Gielicz, Troy Harris, Austin Humble, Arthur Jeon, Jonathan Mann, Armen Melkonians, Samantha Mota, Lana Negrete (incumbent), Ellis Raskin, Caroline M. Torosis, Natalya Zernitskaya and Jesse Zwick.
Humble, Jeon, Mann and Melkonians filed their papers yesterday and it may take several days to certify their signatures. Zwick’s application is also pending.
In the School Board race Keith Coleman (incumbent), Angela DiGaetano, Esther Hickman, Laurie Lieberman (incumbent), Alicia Mignano, Stacy Rouse, Richard Tahvildaran-Jesswein(incumbent) and Miles Warner filed to run for the four seats. All had qualified by Wednesday apart from Hickman.
Five individuals filed to run for the four seats on the SMC Board. Incumbents Barry Snell, Sion Roy and Nancy Greenstein all qualified by Wednesday. Challengers Thomas Peters and Patrick Acosta are still waiting on verification of their signatures.
Three candidates (Kurt Gonska, Daniel S. Ivanov and Ericka Lesley) filed paperwork for the three open seats on Rent Control Board but it’s still possible for a write-in candidate to run. Even without a contested election, current election rules require an election no matter how many individuals are on the ballot. However, a package of rent control reforms will be before voters this year including a proposal to allow officials to cancel future elections if they are uncontested.
Candidates do not appear on the ballot in alphabetical order and instead, placement is determined by a random drawing. The Secretary of State will hold public drawing to determine order of names on ballot today, August 18.
In addition to the Rent Control ballot measure, voters will also see proposals to increase taxes on home sales over $8 million, establish a tax on cannabis sales, amend the city’s Personal Board rules and increase taxes paid by hotel visitors.
Potential voters have until Oct. 24 to register to vote in the Nov. 8 election and as part of the expanded vote-by-mail system, the County Registrar will begin mailing ballots to homes on Oct. 10.
For more information, visit https://santamonica.gov/elections/2022-11-08.
editor@smdp.com
