By Jorge Casuso

July 29, 2024 -- The three Change incumbents on the City Council pulled nomination papers from the City Clerk on Monday, setting up a showdown with the slate backed by Santa Monica's political establishment.

Mayor Phil Brock and Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre and Christine Parra will seek to hold on to a one-seat majority on the seven-member Council when voters fill four open seats on November 5.

From left: Phil Brock, Christine Parra and Oscar de la Torre (Courtesy of Change slate)

It was widely rumored that Parra, whose mother is battling cancer, would not seek a second term, and she did not make a final decision until last week.

In a statement to the Lookout Monday, Parra said she is "honored to announce my candidacy" and "excited to continue the progress we've made together."

"My decision to run for re-election stems from a deep-rooted belief in civic duty and a passion for our city's future," Parra wrote.

"I have seen firsthand the positive impact of effective leadership and community engagement. Together, we can build upon our successes and navigate future opportunities and obstacles with resilience and foresight," Parra wrote.

"While I still share significant concern over my mother’s health and cancer battle, I know that she supports my decision".

De la Torre, who for months has said he would run for reelection, said he and Brock talked to Parra "about finishing what we started."

"Obviously, we took a government that was in shambles and we started to shift our budget to prioritize public safety, effective solutions to homelessness and economic recovery."

The three Change Councilmembers members running in November were elected to four-year terms in 2020 after voters ousted three incumbents -- as many in one race as had been defeated in the previous 26 years. ("A Perfect Storm Swept Incumbents Out of Office," November 23, 2020).

The other incumbent, Gleam Davis, who was backed by Santa Monica's political establishment in her four previous Council bids, announced she would not seek reelection.

To regain control of the City Council, the slate backed by Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMMR) and the local Democratic Club would have to win two of the four open seats.

Both groups held their political conventions early and easily endorsed the slate composed of Santa Monica College Trustee Barry Snell, Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin, Natalya Zernitskaya and Pier Board Chair Dan Hall.

But the prospect of winning two seats may have been made more difficult by the surprise entry of Parra, who has the strong backing of Santa Monica's public safety unions at a time when crime and homelessness have become the central campaign issue.

“The far left wing of the Democratic party wants to return things to the way they were before we took office, and that means the establishment calls the shots,” de la Torre said.

“They are ignoring the real needs of renters and homeowners alike.”