Terry O’Day, Ted Winterer and Ana Jara issue statements after challengers pick up three seats
By Sam Catanzaro
Over the past few weeks, three Santa Monica City Council incumbents issued concession statements after failing to hold onto their seats.
As of November 24, challenger Phil Brock leads the field with 19,307 votes. Incumbent Gleam Davis is in second with 18,113 votes, challenger Christine Parra is in third place with 18,014 votes and challenger Oscar De La Torre is in fourth place with 17,552 votes. The top four candidates—out of a field that included more than 20 contesters—will assume seats on City Council when sworn in on December 8.
Incumbent Terry O’Day, who was appointed to Santa Monica City Council in 2010 to fill a vacancy left by the death of Ken Genser, trails de la Torre by 1,205 votes.
“It appears our campaign fell narrowly short,” O’Day wrote in a recent statement. “Each elected candidate will need and deserve our support as the city navigates this winter’s Covid peak, the economic fallout from Covid, the state housing crisis and Santa Monica’s appropriate role, the selection of a new police chief and its implications, and more.”
Ted Winterer, also an incumbent who was running for his third term, trails de la Torre 1,562 votes.
“I am grateful the voters of Santa Monica granted me the honor and privilege of serving our community for eight years. And I’m proud of our many accomplishments during my tenure,” Winterer wrote in a statement.”I wish the newly-elected Councilmembers the best with the challenges ahead.”
Incumbent Ana Maria Jara, appointed in 2019 to serve the rest of former Councilmember Tony Vazquez’s term, is 2,379 votes behind de la Torre for the final seat.
“It has been my honor to serve the residents of Santa Monica for the past two years. I will continue to work with the community as I did before my appointment and now as a citizen of my City,” Jara wrote. “I wish my new councilmembers the patience to listen to all members of the community and stay on this new path we have forged over the last two years.”
In their statements, O’Day and Winterer touted the Council’s accomplishments during their time in office. These included bringing the Expo line to Santa Monica, taking action to close Santa Monica Airport by 2028 and reducing the City’s carbon footprint on the path to water self-sufficiency.
Jara in her statement touted her “votes on plans and projects that will add revenue to the City’s coffers after vital programs and employees were slashed”, the City’s responded to the COVID-19 pandemic and starting the food pantry at Virginia Avenue Park.
As reported by the Santa Monica Lookout there have been only three incumbents ousted since 1994 on Santa Monica City Council.
