Negrete, Torosis and Oelsen Appear Poised to Advance to Santa Monica City Council; Voters Reject Measure ES

Early returns from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk show leading positions for three City Council candidates, clear frontrunners for the Rent Control Board, and Measure ES trailing, based on semi-final results posted at results.lavote.gov as of 3:11 a.m. on November 4, 2026.

These figures cover ballots processed so far in the November 3, 2026, General Election. A total of 2,147,243 ballots have been counted countywide, representing 36.34% turnout. Semi-final results remain preliminary and will change as additional vote-by-mail, provisional, and other eligible ballots are processed during the official canvass. The next update was scheduled for between 4 and 5 p.m. on November 4.

Santa Monica does not elect its mayor directly. The mayor is selected by the City Council from among its members. The contested race is for three seats on the seven-member City Council (vote for no more than three). Current Mayor Caroline M. Torosis and Councilmember Lana Negrete are among the candidates.

Santa Monica City Council

According to the county's text results:

Lana Negrete: 11,457 votes (16.25%)

Caroline M. Torosis: 10,745 votes (15.24%)

Ashley Oelsen: 9,914 votes (14.06%)

Doug Trussler: 8,516 votes (12.08%)

Daniel Ivanov: 7,958 votes (11.29%)

Brett Morrow: 7,910 votes (11.22%)

Phil Brock: 4,976 votes (7.06%)

Ericka Lesley: 2,918 votes (4.14%)

Derrick Townsend: 2,444 votes (3.47%)

Eli Gill: 2,212 votes (3.14%)

Lindsay Davis: 750 votes (1.06%)

Wade Kelley: 715 votes (1.01%)

Negrete, Torosis, and Oelsen currently hold the top three positions.

Santa Monica Rent Control Board

Three seats are open (vote for no more than three). Results:

Sue Himmelrich: 16,062 votes (30.21%)

Kurt Gonska: 14,388 votes (27.06%)

Heather Thomason: 12,040 votes (22.64%)

Soledad Marcial: 5,670 votes (10.66%)

Zoë Muntaner: 5,009 votes (9.42%)

Himmelrich, Gonska, and Thomason lead.

Measure ES

This special municipal election measure proposes a City of Santa Monica-collected parcel tax of $495 per taxable parcel (adjusted annually for inflation). It would exempt qualifying seniors, affordable housing, non-profits, religious organizations, and schools. The measure aims to provide ongoing funding for Santa Monica's public schools (estimated $12 million annually) for teacher retention, disadvantaged students, arts, music, science, math, early childhood education, and facility maintenance, with oversight requirements. It requires a majority of votes cast to pass.

Results:

Yes: 12,148 votes (47.03%)

No: 13,683 votes (52.97%)

The measure is currently trailing.

Official results and further updates are available at results.lavote.gov (text version for contest details). Counting continues on an around-the-clock schedule through at least November 6, with multiple daily updates expected until certification.