Santa Monica heads to the polls: the results
As of 10 p.m. Tuesday night, general election votes gave way to what looks to be a red America, with the majority of votes for members of the House, Senate and state Governors being cast in for Republican candidates for the first time in eight years.
At this time, for the Santa Monica Elections, it looks like the majority is voting to keep old members in their seats. In the lead for SMC's Board of Trustees are two previous members who have held seats for the past eight years, Louise Jaffe and Nancy Greenstein. Following close behind in third is current and newest trustee member Barry Snell, appointed this past February. In fourth is another trustee member of eight years, Andrew Walzer.
Falling behind the veterans in polls are this year's challengers, Dennis Frisch, a former SMC professor, and Maria Loya, a non-profit director.
It looks like Associate Director for SMC's Public Policy Institute, Professor Richard Tahvildaran, has a guaranteed seat on the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District board at his standing in third place. This comes as no surprise considering the founder of SMC's public policy institute, Sheila Kuehl, took the lead late Tuesday night for the 3rd District seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, to replace current supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.
Nick Boles, one of the youngest candidates to run for Santa Monica City Council, is second to last in the polls.
One of the larger contested local issues is between measures LC and D, both over the Santa Monica Airport. The polls stand with a majority of votes for no on Measure D and yes on Measure LC, both with the opposing vote trailing very close behind.
Measure LC restricts development on airport land unless it is for parks, public open spaces, and recreational areas, such plans could be enacted without voter approval. The cultural, art, and education spaces could also be maintained or replaced without voter approval.
According to impartial analysis from the city attorney on the voting information site, "This measure is expressly intended to compete with, prevail over, and nullify all provisions of a competing measure on the same ballot sponsored by aviation interests. Unlike that measure, this one does not require a vote of the people to close the Airport or to restrict aviation fuel sales or the use of aviation facilities."
The opposing Measure D's focus is on lessening city restrictions on the airport and its operations. It even includes a retroactivity clause that vetoes any decisions made upon the airport dating between March 27 and last night's general election.
Santa Monica resident Lisa Sandbank was campaigning in support of LC at Marine Park, near College Board candidate Dennis Frisch. "We need to deal with the jets and the only way to do that is through local control [LC]," said Sandbank. She stated that if LC loses to D "What we lose in that case is what LC provides, a restriction on development."