The race for three seats on the Santa Monica City Council is quickly coming into focus, with a growing field of candidates entering ahead of the November 2026 election. Filing deadlines are still months away, but the pace of announcements signals what could be one of the city’s most closely watched contests in years.
The Incumbents
Two current members of the council are seeking reelection, each bringing a distinct record and governing style.
Caroline Torosis, the current mayor, has centered her tenure on economic recovery, housing, and regional collaboration. Since joining the council in 2022, she has positioned herself as a pragmatic voice focused on stabilizing city finances while advancing longer-term planning around growth and equity.
Torosis has found herself under attack from dark money advertisers over her supposed advanced knowledge of a Los Angeles County–backed supportive housing proposal along Ocean Avenue. The controversy intensified after some political opponents suggested Torosis may have had earlier knowledge of the project than she initially acknowledged, even as she publicly called for greater transparency and oversight of county-led housing efforts. Torosis has continually maintained she found out about the project at the same time as the rest of the city council, including Lana Negrete.
Lana Negrete, a former mayor and small business owner, has built her profile around economic development and public safety, often emphasizing the perspective of local businesses. Coverage at Santa Monica Next has also highlighted her role in debates over housing and transportation, where she has often pushed back against the current council’s desire to encourage rapid housing production.
Jesse Zwick has not made a formal announcement about the election, but has stated that a run wouldn’t make sense given an opinion by the state that he should recuse himself from all issues involving housing because of his work with a non-profit housing advocacy organization.
It is widely expected that Torosis and Negrete will lead opposing slates in the coming elections.
The Challengers
A wide range of challengers have entered the race, reflecting differing views on the city’s direction:
- Daniel Ivanov is running on a platform focused on transparency and improving basic city services, appealing to voters frustrated with City Hall. Ivanov currently holds a seat on the city’s rent control board, a city-wide elected position. He was also a guest on the Santa Monica Next podcast What’s Next in 2023.
- Eli Gill (running as Eli for Santa Monica) is emphasizing grassroots engagement and community-driven decision-making. Gill has contributed pictures to Next as part of our “Eyes on the Street” series several times.
- Brett Morrow, a public health communications professional, is campaigning on quality of life, public safety, and effective government operations. Morrow has extensive experience doing public relations for democratic elected officials and publishes under the popular social media channel Only in Santa Monica. Torosis and Councilmember Dan Hall were at Morrow’s campaign kickoff.
- Doug Trussler has focused his campaign on restoring city services and addressing concerns about economic decline. Trussler is partner with Bison Capital, which manages over $1billion in private assets. It is widely expected that Trussler will be aligning with Negrete.
- Ericka Lesley is positioning herself as a change candidate, highlighting public safety and economic recovery. Lesley currently holds a seat on the city’s rent control board, a city-wide elected position and was a candidate who ran a strong campaign for city council two years ago despite not being on one of the slates.
- Angela Scott (candidate website not available, but you can learn more about her here), a Navy veteran and member of the city’s Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission, is running on civic engagement, housing, and public safety reform, with a focus on expanding participation in local democracy.
- Derrick Townsend is an occupational therapist with Kaiser Permanente. Not much is public about his campaign, other than a detailed privacy policy and a snazzy logo.
- Ashley Oelson is a conseravtion biologist who despite her environmentalist credentials will likely run to the right of the current council over the issue of housing. Her campaign doesn’t have a website, but if you just google her, you’ll find an extensive amount of published works on conservation, the environment, the ocean, and recovery from last year’s wildfires.
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