Fourteen Santa Monica Candidates Make Final Council Ballot

By Lookout Staff

August 22, 2012 -- Santa Monica City Council incumbent Terry O'Day will head a list of 14 candidates who made the ballot for the November 6 race for four open council seats.

The final two candidates -- Planning Commissioner Richard McKinnon and political newcomer Roberto Gomez -- qualified Tuesday after submitting the signatures of at least 100 registered Santa Monica voters by last Wednesday's deadline.

John Cyrus Smith, a television producer making his first council bid -- will appear second on the ballot, followed by Northeast Neighbors co-founder Robert Seldon, Planning Commissioner Ted Winterer, school activist Shari Davis and incumbent Gleam Davis.

Appearing seventh on the ballot will be newcomer Steve Duron, followed by former council member Tony Vazquez, Gomez, former Lookout columnist Frank Gruber and McKinnon.

Jonathan Mann, who is extending his record to 11 council bids, will appear 12th, followed by community activist Jerry Rubin, who is making his fifth council bid, and Terence Later, who ran in 2008 and 2010.

Armen Melkonians, who submitted papers by Wednesday's deadline, will challenge the LA County Registrar's decision that he lacked the necessary signatures.

The Registrar determines the ballot order by randomly choosing letters from the alphabet.

Some political experts believe appearing at or near the top of the ballot gives candidates a leg up.

The November 6 council race has drawn an unusually strong pool of candidates after it became clear that Mayor Richard Bloom and Council member Bobby Shriver would not seek re-election, marking the first time in a quarter century that two incumbent's seats are up for grabs.

Bloom is running for State Representative and Shriver is exploring a run for LA County supervisor.