By Jorge Casuso

September 25, 2026 -- Three City Council candidates opposing Santa Monica's political establishment are leading in fundraising, and two of them have the backing of a PAC that has raised more than $600,000, according to the latest campaign financial statements.

The fundraising leader in the November 3 race for three open Council seats is local businessman Doug Trussler, whose campaign had raised $213,000 this year by the filing period that ended September 19, including $150,000 in personal loans. Trussler's campaign had spent $131,024.

Meanwhile, incumbent Lana Negrete and environmental activist Ashley Oelsen each raised some $100,000, with Negrete receiving $101,311 in contributions of $100 or more from 168 contributors and Oelsen $99,711 from 154 contributions, as well as $25,700 in personal loans.

Negrete's campaign had spent $31,115, while Oelsen's had spent $23,299. Oelsen has the backing of Santa Monica Residents in Support of Ashley Oelsen, which raised $5,000 and had nearly all of it in hand.

Trussler and Negrete also have the backing of Believe In Santa Monica, a Political Action Committee that had raised $600,250, with $300,000 in contributions from Douglas Emmett Properties and Jerry A. Greenberg, co-founder of Sugarfish, part of the Sushi Nozawa Group. The PAC had spent $442,694 by the filing deadline.

By comparison, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR), which holds a 6 to 1 majority on the Council, had raised $102,028, with the group's co-chair Michael Soloff contributing $56,105. SMRR still has $78,086 in its campaign warchest.

Mayor Caroline Torosis was fourth in fundraising with $86,935 from 94 contributions of $100 or more and had a cash balance of $74,010 to spend over the final six-week stretch. Torosis also has the backing of the Santa Monica Comeback PAC supporting Torosis for Council, which had yet to spend the $7,498 it had raised.

Its main contributors were the local law firm Harding Larmore Kutcher & Kozel, which specializes in local land use, and contributed $2,500, and Jeff Palmer and Affiliated Entities, which contributed $4,998.

Rent Board member Danny Ivanov, who was endorsed along with Torosis by SMRR members at the group's convention last month, had raised $30,519, including a $1,200 personal loan, and had $16,378 to spend at the end of the filing period.

Brett Morrow,communications director for LA County Public Health, who was endorsed by SMRR's steering committee, had raised $56,841, of which $1,500 was a personal loan. Morrow had $47,495 in his campaign warchest.

Housing advocate Eli Gill had raised $30,519, including a $1,200 personal loan, and had $10,727 left to spend, while occupational therapist Derrick Townsend had raised $22,001, and had $4,631 in his campaign warchest.

Meanwhile former mayor Phil Brock had raised $6,411 and spent $2,840 during the filing period, but had $20,590 from his 2024 re-election bid, leaving him with an ending cash balance of $24,161.

Angela Scott, who dropped out of the Council race had raised $7,905 and spent none of it. Among her contributors were Mayor Torosis, Councilmember Dan Hall and former Councilmember Ted Winterer.

Rent Board member Ericka Lesley, street performer Wade Kelley and yoga instructor Lindsay Davis did not file financial statements, which are required if you raise more than $2,000 or spend more than $1,000.

Editor's note: This article previously stated that Brett Morrow would not appear on SMRR's campaign literature after falling short of winning the membership's backing. The group's bylaws allow him to appear after the steering committee voted to support him.