Mayor Bloom to Seek Reelection

By Jorge Casuso

July 7 -- Ending months of speculation, Mayor Richard Bloom announced Tuesday that he will be seeking a third term on the City Council in November.

Bloom enters a potentially crowded field that includes all four incumbents and several seasoned challengers expected to make the race for four council seats a hotly contested battle.

“It required a lot of thought about what another four years would mean to my family and to a lesser extent my law practice,” Bloom told The Lookout. “It’s a long time, four years.

“I really had to think it through with Robbie and the boys,” he said, referring to his wife and two teenage children. “They were encouraging.”

Bloom is no stranger to the campaign trail, running for the council four times between 1996 and 2000. After falling short by 92 votes in 1998, Bloom was elected to the council the following year to finish the term of a departing member.

He was reelected in 2000, finishing a strong second, and was elected mayor by the council in 2002.

“Man, I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, what have I gotten into?’” Bloom said. “I’ve been able to watch the other people run. Now I have to get back into the mode.”

Still, he is looking forward to hitting the campaign trail.

“One thing, it gets you in touch with a lot of people,” Bloom said. “You get a lot of public input about what people think about the city.”

Bloom will seek the endorsement of Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights when the powerful tenants’ group picks a slate next month.

Also seeking the SMRR nod will be Council members Ken Genser and Michael Feinstein, as well as School Board member Julia Brownley and former School Board president Patricia Hoffman.

Councilman Herb Katz, who is expected to announce soon, will likely lead the opposition. Also running are Matt Dinolfo and Jerry Rubin, who have made previous council bids.