By Jorge Casuso

September 27, 2024 -- The two factions waging a high-stakes battle for control of the Santa Monica City Council have raised a combined total of more than $1 million, according to campaign finance disclosure statements filed with the City Clerk's office.

Of the total raised, Political Action Committees and candidates representing Santa Monica's political establishment received nearly $596,504, according to the statements filed by Thursday's deadline.

That's nearly $158,000 more than the $438,614 raised by the pro-law enforcement faction, which includes two incumbents, this is attempting to hold on to a 4 to 3 majority in the November 5 race for four Council seats.

The biggest campaign war chest has been amassed by Renters and Workers for Santa Monica sponsored by UNITE HERE Local 11, the hotel workers union, which has raised $275,000, with $150,000 contributed by the national union headquartered in New York City.

The contributions include $37,500 from Abundant Santa Monica located in Irvine, which reported a total of $62,500 in contributions to support the establishment slate.

The group is a chapter of the Abundance Network, a pro-housing group whose senior policy advisor, Annie Fryman, served as Senator Scott Wiener’s policy staffer and is "a key figure in the YIMBY movement," according to the Network's website.

The union also received a $50,000 contribution from the UNITE HERE PAC and a $37,500 contribution from Streets for All, the non-profit behind an unsuccessful plan to build housing and a major park to replace the 90 Freeway in Marina del Rey.

The biggest campaign war chest supporting the incumbent-led slate was amassed by Santa Monicans for a Real Positive Future, which raised $231,900 largely from two $100,000 contributions from Douglas Emmett Properties and Jerry A. Greenberg.

Douglas Emmett owns and manages a large portfolio of commercial properties in Santa Monica, as well as The Shores Apartment Towers in Ocean Park.

The company made statewide headlines when it evicted tenants from the 577 rent-controlled apartments in Barrington Plaza in West Los Angeles to conduct renovations.

A Superior County judge ruled in June that the company had violated the Ellis Act, a State law that allows landlords to empty their buildings when they plan to “go out of business.”

Greenberg, the other major contributor, is co-founder of the high tech company Sapient, who created the Sushi Nozawa Group, which owns the restaurants SUGARFISH and KazuNori in Downtown Santa Monica.

The latest campaign statements show how far the financial clout within Santa Monica's political establishment has shifted since the coronavirius shutdown.

Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMMR), which has controlled local politics for most of the past four decades, raised $51,450, less than the amount raised by Abundant Santa Monica ("Who Runs the City?" September 20, 2024).

Other groups backing the establishment slate endorsed by SMMR and the local Democratic Club are the Committee for Excellent Public Schools (CEPS), which raised $33,662, and Santa Monica Forward, which raised $8,620.

The individual candidates on the slate raised a total of $169,022. The top fundraiser was Natalya Zernitskaya, who reported $55,778 in contributions, followed by Pier Board Chair Dan Hall, who raised $51,981.

College Trustee Barry Snell raised $32,992, while Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin raised $28,271.

Candidates on the opposing incumbent-led slate raised a combined total of $124,581, with Vivian Roknian, a business owner and oral surgeon, raising $61,852, or about half.

Business owner John Putnam raised $28,165, Councilmember Oscar de la Torre raised $24,395 and Mayor Phil Brock raised $10,169.

In addition to the backing of Real Positive Future, the slate has the support of Santa Monicans for Change, which raised $14,200.

Meanwhile, Brock, de la Torre and Roknian have the support, along with Rent Board Chair Ericka Lesley, of the Police Officers Association.

The police union, which reported receiving $25,177 in contributions this year, had an ending balance of $86,841 from dues paid by its members.

Lesley, who failed to win the backing of the political establishment, raised $11,207.