It may still be a few months until candidates can “pull papers” and officially begin their campaigns for City Council, but the past week has seen a few developments that are shaping the race.
The city will decide three of the seven seats on the City Council in the November election. Mayor Caroline Torosis had already announced her intentions to seek re-election for her seat. Councilmember Jesse Zwick has not made a formal announcement, but has hinted that with his role restricted by a state ethics commission ruling that his job conflicts with certain votes that he will not seek re-election.
Last night in her weekly newsletter to constituents, Councilmember Lana Negrete announced she would also seek re-election. Despite her strong showing during her year as Mayor from December of 2024-December of 2025, Negrete’s decision was not easy. She’s clearly frustrated by her minority status on the Council as its most conservative member and has struggled with health issues since announcing her cancer diagnosis a couple of years ago.
But the first candidate in the race was Eli Gill, who announced his candidacy back in February, well before the filing deadline. Gill, who has contributed as a writer and photographer to Santa Monica Next***, is basing his campaign around a simple idea: that the best Santa Monica is a city that works for everyone regardless of age, socio-economic status, or other demographic differences. “Santa Monica has the resources, the talent, and the potential to be one of the great cities in the world. What it needs is a council member focused on getting there,” he writes on his campaign website.
Over the weekend, Brett Morrow launched his candidacy at an event hosted by Councilmember Dan Hall and SMCC Board member Anastasia Foster. Torosis was also in attendance, signaling that she and Morrow may form a slate before the election.Morrow is hardly a newcomer to Santa Monica or politics. He serves on the city’s Human Services Commission, is Chief Communications Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, and has worked as public relations officers for various elected officials in California including Adam Schiff.
*** Santa Monica Next is a non-profit publication of the Southern California Streets Initiative and does not endorse candidates for office. Gill’s volunteer contributions to Next are for identification and disclosure purposes only.
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