“I’m going to wait until all the votes are in (to see) if something happens and there’s a major miracle,” outgoing Mayor Phil Brock told the Santa Monica Lookout when asked about conceding the City Council race held over two weeks ago.
“If not I’ll shake everybody’s hand and move on.”
The handshaking has already begun though, as Dan Hall, one of the four members of the “United Democratic Slate” that swept this year’s City Council races reported that Brock shook his hand and congratulated him at the Veteran’s Day celebration at the Pier earlier this week. Hall was the last member to publicly declare victory, despite being the leading vote getter in a race where the top four candidates will ascend to the City Council dais.
“We are a “fortunate people in a fortunate city” and while we face great challenges,” wrote Hall in a letter to supporters and on Santa Monica specific social media groups. “ I have equally great hope for our next four years together. I look forward to working for, and alongside, you.”
Hall also declared victory in a post to his Instagram yesterday.
Ellis Raskin beat him to the punch, declaring victory on his own Instagram last week.
Following the most recent vote total announcements from the county, Raskin wrote, “Thank you to everyone who supported my campaign. This victory is the result of a broad coalition of community support, and I am excited to have the opportunity to work with my running mates (Dan Hall, Barry Snell, and Natalya Zernitskaya), who were also elected to serve on the City Council.”
Zernitskaya declared victory over the weekend. Her statement is also available on Instagram, and touts the coalition of progressive organizations and people that pushed the slate to the top of the ballot.
“Thank you so much to everyone who knocked on doors, made phone calls, donated, and put in the countless hours of work that led to this incredible outcome in our local Santa Monica election. I’m so excited to serve the city and the people of Santa Monica,” she wrote.
Barry Snell is the least active on social media of the four councilmember-elects, but he still posted the day after the election with a more cautious statement that seems to assume he will be the next Councilmember.
“ I am deeply humbled by the support. While there are a lot of votes left to count, I want to thank everyone who voted for me, knocked on doors, made phone calls, and donated,” Snell began. “…Change starts locally. To the voters who voted for someone else, I hope, if elected, to work hard and earn your trust and support.”
The Santa Monica Democratic Club and Santa Monicans for Renters Rights have also both congratulated the slate on its four victories.
While there are still some votes to be counted, all that is left are a handful of ballots that need to be “cured.” (What does that mean? Click here.) Hall is leading all candidates with 21,207 votes followed by Raskin (21,108), Snell (20,202) and Zernitskaya (20,121). Brock’s 18,302 votes puts him well outside the margin where a comeback is possible, but is still more votes than the lead vote getter in 2022 (Caroline Torosis with 17,741) and would have been enough to finish third in 2020.
