Jesse Zwick Selected as Mayor Pro Tem as the City Prepares for a New Year of Leadership
On Dec. 9, Caroline Torosis will be sworn in as the next mayor of Santa Monica, and Jesse Zwick will take the position of mayor pro tem.
Torosis was elected to the city council in 2022 and has served as mayor pro tem for the past year. She previously served as commissioner on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board. Torosis will take the helm from outgoing Mayor Lana Negrete, who has served in the post since 2024.
Born and raised in Santa Monica, Negrete owns Santa Monica Music Center. Negrete also previously served on the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission.
During her tenure, Mayor Negrete served as part of the city’s response to the Palisades Fire, including recovery efforts focused on business support. She also focused on involving young
people in government and on educating community members about the city’s processes.
Negrete, who was first appointed to the City Council in 2021 and served as mayor pro tem from 2022-2024, will transition back to the role of councilmember.
A UCLA alumna, Torosis is a government affairs attorney and workforce and economic development expert with a juris doctorate from Washington University. In her full-time job, she is the Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Holly Mitchell. She is also a member of the County’s Women’s Leadership Council.
Zwick was also elected in 2022. He grew up in Santa Monica, graduated from Harvard University, and worked as a journalist in Washington, D.C. before returning home to write for film and television. He currently works as Southern California Director for the Housing Action Coalition.
Per the established council rules, the longest continuously serving councilmember will serve as mayor for a one-year term. If two or more councilmembers were elected in the same election, the councilmember receiving the higher number of votes shall be considered as having served longer for purposes of the rule.
To celebrate the mayoral transition, a reception will be held in the City Hall lobby on December 9 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. with light snacks and refreshments. The reception is free and open to the public.
