By Jorge Casuso
September 11, 2026 – For nearly a half century, Santa Monica politics has been dominated by powerful groups that back rival slates. Now, first-time City Council candidate Doug Trussler is challenging that system.
The head of a billion dollar local equity firm, Trussler's campaign strategy is to block the endorsements of rival candidates and seek the backing of every local political organization himself.
"My strategy all along has been to blow up all their endorsements," Trussler said, adding that many candidates who are elected have no name recognition in the city. "If they don't get the endorsements, they don't get elected," he said.
The strategy initially implemented with incumbent Lana Negrete and environmental activist Ashley Oelsen, seems to be working. The six groups that make up Santa Monica's political establishment have failed to agree on a unified slate, as they did when the four candidates they all backed were swept into office two years ago.
Trussler has also managed to win the endorsements of radically opposing groups. He won the early backing of Northeast Neighbors, a staunch opponent of multi-unit apartments in single-family neighborhoods, and more recently of LA YIMBY, which champions building as much housing as possible in neighborhoods across the city.
He also won the endorsement of UNITE HERE Local 11, the hotel workers union that is a cornerstone of the Santa Monica political establishment Trussler is hoping to shake up.
"Our City is in trouble," Trussler said he told the union, noting tourism is down and the union is losing members. "I operate in an industry driven by capitalism but have learned that partnering with labor is critical for any business success.
"I feel like my endorsement from the Union represents an effort by the Union to lock arms with the City and the residents in a positive way to solve the significant challenges we are facing," Trussler said. "We all have to fix this, and if we don't, we are all going to lose."
The union ended up backing four candidates for three open Council seats -- Mayor Caroline Torosis, Rent Board Commissioner Danny Ivanov, Brett Morrow and Trussler.
In announcing its endorsement Thursday, Local 11 said that while Trussler "might not agree on every issue, he has a pro-union vision where business and labor succeed together."
Trussler's strategy, however, has split up the anti-establishment slate that included Negrete and Oelsen.
After YIMBY's endorsement, Oelsen, who has helped lead the fight against major projects and pro-development policies, announced Thursday that she was separating herself from Trussler.
"During this campaign," she wrote in an open letter, "many supporters have viewed Lana Negrete, Doug Trussler and me as a three-person slate, and there has been some coordination among the campaigns. People have invested time and energy in the effort, and for that, I am deeply grateful.
"As the campaign has progressed, however, it has become clear that Doug and I do not share the same goals, principles or approach to public service," Oelsen wrote. "My campaign will therefore move forward separately from his."
Northeast Neighbors, which backed Trussler early in the campaign, said it is reconsidering its endorsement, noting that some residents are pulling his lawn signs.
Trussler noted that YIMBY's endorsement statement misrepresented his views on development by saying he "believes Santa Monica has to be proactive in approving and building thousands of units of new housing."
Trussler said he has repeatedly stated that multi-unit housing should only be built in the Downtown to help revitalize the City's central district and that LA YIMBY has edited the statement on their endorsement page to make that clarification.
"My goal is to win as long as I'm staying true to my platform," Trussler said. "I'd like to think I'm bringing people together instead of blowing them apart."