Dem Party, Labor Endorse Council Challengers

September 17, 2024 -- A slate of four challengers trying to seize control of the City Council will have the support of the City's tenant rights group, labor and the Democratic Party that make up Santa Monica's political establishment.

The slate composed of College Trustee Barry Snell, Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin, Pier Board Chair Dan Hall and Natalya Zernitskaya recently received the key endorsements of The Los Angeles County Federation of Labor (LA Fed) and the Los Angeles County Democratic Party (LACDP).

The members of the slate "all have strong records of Democratic activism in favor of renters, workers and the environment," said a press release issued Tuesday by UNITE HERE Local 11, the hotel workers union.

The four candidates "all stood strongly with the striking hotel workers," said Cristina Navarro, a 20-year hotel room attendant and Union shop steward.

“During the historic hotel worker strike, Mayor (Phil) Brock tried to restrict workers’ ability to protest," said Navarro, who is also a member of the Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR) Steering Committee.

"We need a council who will stand with working people, not with wealthy hotel corporations.”

Brock and incumbent Councilmember Oscar de la Torre are leading a rival slate that includes two small business owners -- John Putnam and Vivian Roknian -- in the race for four Council seats. All four are Democrats.

The slate, which must win three seats to retain control of the seven-member Council, is backed by local businesses, including hotels and restaurants, and residents concerned that crime and homelessness are out of control.

The two incumbents and Roknian have the backing of the City's powerful public safety unions in an election they hope will be decided by voters focused on public safety.

That will be countered by the endorsements of Hall, Raskin, Snell and Zernitskaya by labor unions and the Democratic party, which will likely play an out-sized role among voters energized by a hotly contested race for president in an overwhelmingly Democrat city.

When choosing candidates in down ballot races who are not widely known, like City Council, local voters often lean on the endorsements of their party, in this case the County Democratic party and local Dem Club.