Four seats on the Santa Monica City Council are up for grabs in the November 2008 election, and Mayor Pro Tem Richard Bloom ushered in the campaign season on Monday, June 30, with a “birthday bash” and “re-election campaign kick-off” at the Santa Monica Art Studios adjacent to Santa Monica Airport.
Mayor Herb Katz and Councilmember Ken Genser have said that they will also seek reelection. The fourth seat is that of Councilmember Bobby Shriver, who has not yet decided whether he will run again.
With the Residents’ Initiative to Fight Traffic (RIFT) on the November ballot, and the downtown ficus tree battles fresh in the public’s mind, this year’s City Council races promise to be spirited and engaging. Plenty of time remains before the August 8 deadline for filing nomination papers, and the filing period does not even begin until July 14, so it remains to be seen how widely contested the open seats will be.
At Bloom’s June 30 gathering (his birthday was actually June 22), over a hundred guests enjoyed the music of Russ Mullen’s Jazz Associates and the food provided by Anisette Brasserie while they hobnobbed and viewed the art on display at Santa Monica Art Studios. The art included finished pieces and works-in-progress, one of which was a life-size statue of Donald Douglas by studio director Yossi Govrin which, when completed, will be installed in the DC-3 park at the Airport.
While this may have been the first event on the calendar of City Council elections this year, it will surely not be the last.
