Democratic Club Makes Picky Endorsements

By Jorge Casuso

The Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights-dominated Democratic Club made slim pickings from a crowded field Wednesday night, endorsing only two candidates in the race for four City Council seats and one for three School Board seats.

Incumbent Mayor Ken Genser and Councilman Richard Bloom were the only choices from a field of 13 council candidates, only five of whom sought endorsements. Among those not seeking the group's backing was Councilman Michael Feinstein, a Green Party member.

Former councilman Herb Katz, a life-long Democrat, received 26 percent of the vote, falling far short of the 60 percent required for the group's endorsement. Candidates Don Gray and Donna Block, who recently switched to the Democratic Party, were the only other candidates to seek an endorsement for council.

If the race for a council endorsement wasn't close, the bid for School Board endorsements was a nail biter. Only Maria Leon-Vazquez, a long-time SMRR member, received the necessary percentage of votes. After three hotly contested ballots, neither of the other candidates seeking endorsements garnered the necessary backing for the other two open seats.

RAND researcher Jose Escarce fell just one percentage point short of an endorsement on the second ballot, followed by Mike Jordan, a Malibu resident, and attorney Gleam Davis. The three candidates again fell short of the necessary votes in a third run-off ballot.

In the race for College Board of Trustees, incumbents Pat Nichelson and Annette Shamey, and school board member Margaret Quinones all received the group's nod. Joe Weichman, a college student, and Margaret Carroll, a prosecutor, also sought endorsements, each garnering more than 20 percent of the votes.

Besides prestige from a long-established political group, the Democratic Club also has sent out fliers to voters in past elections urging them to vote for the endorsed candidates.

"I've always thought it's important because people look to organizations that they trust," said Mayor Pro Tem Pam O'Connor, who took part in the endorsements.