December 6, 2024 -- Selecting Santa Monica's next mayor has long been a way for the City Council's dominant faction to flex its political muscle. But that won't be the case on Tuesday.

While the city's liberal establishment holds six of the seven Council seats, their lone opponent, Lana Negrete, will become the City's first Latina mayor. Guaranteed.

That's because under new rules approved by a 6 to 1 vote in January 2023, the Council must "select the longest continuously serving Councilmember" to serve as Mayor for a one-year term.

Negrete -- who was appointed in July 2021 -- is currently the senior member of a Council that has routinely seen its members serve for more than 10 years and as long as 24 years.

When she ran two years ago, Negrete was the target of the most relentlessly negative political campaign in recent Santa Monica history ("Hotel Workers Union Steps Up Attacks," October 10, 2022).

She finished a distant third behind Caroline Torosis and Jesse Zwick, who were backed by Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR), the local Democratic Club and the hotel workers union.

Negrete managed to hold on to her seat after two candidates -- Ellis Rasskin and Natalya Zernitskaya -- split the liberal establishment's vote ("Dem Club Membership Breaks with Tradition in 'Surprising Upset,'" September 30, 2022).

This time around, both won and will be sworn in as part of a United slate -- along with Dan Hall and Barry Snell -- that was swept into office on November 5 with more than 20,000 votes each ("Four Council Winners Join Exclusive Club," December 4, 2024).

Negrete, who had become part of a Council majority during the past 3 1/2 years, now finds herself the lone holdout after Mayor Phil Brock and Councilmember Oscar de la Torre were defeated and Councilmember Christine Parra chose not to seek reelection ("Parra Pulls Out of Council Race," August 9, 2024).

After SMRR regains control of the Council Tuesday night, the super-majority easily has the votes to return to choosing a mayor and oust Negrete early next year.

That likely won't happen, said former Mayor Sue Himmelrich, who has been advising the new Councilmembers.

"I think these four understand the mandate that you get when you are elected is not a total mandate," she said. "In a close election, you have a really starkly divided city."

In the November 5 race for four Council seats, Hall finished first with 13.27 percent of the votes, according to the results certified by the LA County Registrar on Tuesday.

While the Mayor's post is mostly ceremonial in Santa Monica's strong City Manager form of government, it is a high profile post.

Negrete will be the local government's face in the community, attending ribbon cuttings and community events. She will also chair Council meetings and will have a hand in setting the agenda.

Negrete -- who has been a staunch supporter of law enforcement, small business and greater staff accountability -- will likely get extra attention as Santa Monica's first Latina mayor.