2010 Election Results
Despite the national GOP trend, California remained loyal to more than a couple familiar Democratic faces in this week's midterm elections. Incumbent Barbara Boxer snagged a fourth term as Senator in a vigorous fight against Republican Carly Fiorina. And after a 28-year hiatus from the Governor seat, California Attorney General Jerry Brown prevailed in this year's gubernatorial race opposing billionaire Meg Whitman. Santa Monica will welcome top-runners Kevin McKeown and Pam O'Connor for full-term City Council members, and in a neck-and-neck race for the third and final seat, votes are still being tallied between Bob Holbrook and Ted Winterer. At the time of this writing, the City of Santa Monica reported Holbrook leading by an extremely slim margin.
Terry O'Day and Gleam Davis will both regain their two-year terms with the City Council. The four open seats for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified Board of Education went to Laurie Lieberman, Oscar de la Torre, Ralph Mechur, and Nimish Patel.
Holbrook and Patel are the only Santa Monica elected officials who are not backed by Santa Monicans for Renter's Rights (SMRR).
Surprisingly, it looks like the only marijuana our state will be smoking will be by prescription; the controversial Proposition 19 failed to win enough votes for its legalization in California.
Proposition 20 for redistricting was approved as were Proposition 22 for tax revenue use and Proposition 26 for state levies.
Proposition 21 for an additional vehicle registration surcharge, Big Oil's Proposition 23 to suspend pollution laws, and Proposition 24 to repeal taxes agreed on in a 2008 budget, all failed.
Furthermore, Proposition 25 passed, changing the legislature's requirement to pass state budgets from a two-thirds vote to a simple majority.
In overwhelming victories, measures Y, YY, and RR all passed among Santa Monica voters on Tuesday. Measure Y approved the half-percent sales tax increase, making the new tax rate 10.25 in Santa Monica. The increase will go into effect April 1, 2011.
Measure YY, an "advisory" measure, encourages the city council to use the predicted $12 million revenue generated by Measure Y's tax increase to be split between educational funding and funding for vital services like police and fire departments.
Voters also chose to protect renters from undue and surprise evictions by passing Measure RR. The measure placed stronger requirements for Santa Monica landlords who wish to evict tenants and requires the landlord to provide sufficient notice for eviction.
While the nation sided with the Republicans for the House, the Democrats are now barely holding onto the Senate majority.
In his post-election speech from the White House East Room, a disappointed President Barack Obama stated, "Every election, regardless of who wins and who loses, is a reminder that in our democracy, power rests not with those of us in elected office but with the people we have the privilege to serve."
"Over the past two years we've made progress, but sadly too many Americans haven't felt that progress yet. And they told us that yesterday. And as President, I take responsibility for that," said Obama.