Field of Council Hopefuls Swells to More than 30

By Jorge Casuso

July 20 – The already crowded field of City Council hopefuls has grown to 31, with a former candidate, a leading opponent of a controversial housing project, a newspaper columnist and an activist who helped take over a neighborhood organization joining the fray.

They are among 13 hopefuls who pulled their qualifying papers from the City Clerk after 18 potential candidates kicked off the election season by pulling papers last Monday, the first day to do so.

Throwing his hat into the ring after the first day rush was David Cole, who finished seventh in a field of 13 candidates vying for four open seats four years ago. Cole, who garnered 6,782 votes, ran on a platform to build bridges in what he said was a divided community that pitted the interests of tenants against those of the business community.

Also pulling papers in the race for four open seats was Maria Loya, the treasurer of the Pico Neighborhood Association (PNA), who helped organize a successful movement to vote out every incumbent seeking reelection to the group’s board.

Loya, who recently informed Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights that she would be seeking the powerful group’s endorsement, is the third Pico resident to join race.

Loya faces two of the PNA board members she helped oust -- former Chair Don Gray, who has made two unsuccessful council bids, and former vice chair Peter Tigler.

Loya, Gray and Tigler are hoping to become the first elected council member from the Pico Neighborhood, which is home to many of the city’s minority residents.

Also pulling papers were Bill Bauer, a local newspaper columnist and leading critic of the City’s homeless policies, and Jeffrey Weinstein, who helped organize opponents of a 44-unit affordable housing development on Main Street.

Although Weinstein failed to stop the Community Corporation building, he managed to help fill the City Hall chambers several times with vocal residents from Ocean Park.

Also joining the crowded field of hopefuls was Brian Andrus, a local businessman; Lorene “Leah” Mendelsohn, who supported a ballot measure to prevent homes from being designated as landmarks without a property owner’s consent, and Kathryn J. Morea, a resident active in the effort to secure preferential parking on a residential street near the high school.

Also pulling papers from the Clerk’s office were Daniel Cody, Michael J. McKernan, Stephen Silberkraus and Mike Smith.

Rounding out the field of incumbents pulling papers since Monday were Council members Michael Feinstein and Ken Genser, who had already announced their intentions to run.

Feinstein and Genser, along incumbent Mayor Richard Bloom, will run for the SMRR endorsement when the tenants’ group holds its convention August 1.

Also running for the SMRR endorsement is former school board president Patricia Hoffman, who pulled papers on the first day and has said she would drop out if she fails to get the group's endorsement, which translates into thousands of tenants' votes.

Council member Herb Katz, the only incumbent up for reelection who is not a SMRR member, also pulled his papers Monday.

Also pulling papers Monday was Tom Viscount, the Red Cross’ director of resources, development and communications, who also is a potential SMRR challenger.

Others who entered the race on the first day were former candidates Mat Dinolfo, a doctor of internal medicine who made a surprisingly strong showing in the 2002 council race; Jerry Peace Activist Rubin and Chuck Allord, who both ran in 2000 and 2002; John Mann, who ran as John Stevens in 1994, 1998, 1999 and 2000 and Pro Se, who made an unsuccessful bid two years ago.

Rounding out the field so far are several newcomers to the political scene -- Linda Armstrong, Beverly Donaloff, Susan Fraser (who along with Feinstein and Mann are Green Party members), Joe Paolucci, Scott D. Reiter, Erwin Ruch and Jennie Scheer, all pulled papers Monday.