Returns released late by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's Office put Lana Negrete and Caroline Torosis in front for two of the three available seats on the Santa Monica City Council. Ashley Oelsen held a narrow lead for the third seat, with Doug Trussler fewer than one thousand votes behind. The 9:44 p.m. preliminary count included early in-person ballots and mail-in votes processed before Election Day, so the final outcome remained open as more ballots waited to be tallied. The Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk oversees the canvassing and certification of county election results, and standings could shift as later-arriving and provisional ballots are added. NBC Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Times tracked the Santa Monica City Council contest in their live election coverage, listing Lana Negrete, Ashley Oelsen, Caroline Torosis, and Doug Trussler among the top contenders. These numbers are still preliminary until the county completes its official canvass. For more live updates, see NBC Los Angeles election results.
In the Rent Control Board race, Sue Himmelrich led with over 13,700 votes, followed by Kurt Gonska and Heather Thomason. These figures represented only part of the total ballots, so the final board lineup was still unclear. Like the City Council contest, the Rent Control Board race appeared on live election pages and awaits the county's final certification.
Key Ballot Measures and Local Board Elections
Santa Monica voters considered five municipal measures on education funding, eviction protections, rent control changes, and hotel tax rules for major events. Measure ES appeared on ballots for both the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the City of Santa Monica, proposing a $495 annual parcel tax, adjusted for inflation, to support local public schools, with exemptions for qualifying property owners. NBC Los Angeles reported a preliminary "NO" result of 26.22% and 10,218 votes for Measure ES, but the full denominator and final outcome are pending official certification. Other measures-GG, RR, TT, and VV-covered municipal charter amendments, eviction protections, rent control changes, and hotel tax rules for designated events. Ballot-measure results must be confirmed against the county's certified statement of vote before being published as final. For more details, see NBC Los Angeles live updates.
Besides the City Council and Rent Control Board, residents chose representatives for the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board of Education and the Santa Monica College Board of Trustees. The school board race had five candidates for four seats, and the college board saw five contenders for four positions. The Rent Control Board election featured five candidates competing for three seats, with several proposed charter amendments also on the ballot.
Countywide and Statewide Contests
Across Los Angeles County, Sheriff Robert Luna faced a rematch with former Sheriff Alex Villanueva. County voters also weighed two charter amendments: Measure A, which would set binding arbitration for certain public safety labor disputes and ban strikes by specified county employees, and Measure E, which aimed to strengthen the independence of the county's ethics system. These countywide measures, A and E, amend the Los Angeles County Charter and are separate from Santa Monica's municipal measures. The Los Angeles Times provided live tracking of these countywide races and measures in its election coverage.
Statewide, Californians voted for governor, congressional representatives, state legislators, and 14 propositions. The California Secretary of State's September registration report showed more than 23 million Californians registered to vote, with Democrats making up about 45 percent and Republicans 25 percent of the electorate. Los Angeles County's registration rate was nearly 89 percent, with most voters registered as Democrats.
For more context on local housing and tenant support programs, see the reported earlier coverage of Santa Monica's expanded rental assistance for seniors and affordable housing residents.
