Plenty of Drama, Few Surprises as O'Connor, Arnold Get Dem Club Nod; School Board Incumbent Fails to Win Backing

By Elizabeth Schneider

August 29 -- Proving that politics follows no script, the Santa Monica Democratic Club got a show of its own Wednesday night as one club member physically collapsed and a school board candidate attempted to win a last minute endorsement, prompting an extended if not exhausting meeting.

While the gentleman who collapsed was taken away by paramedics, no amount of treatment could help school board hopeful Oscar de la Torre in his bid to win over Club members given the club's charter, which requires that the candidates endorsed are members of the Democratic Party.

"Oscar [de la Torre] was not a registered Democrat, and as 4 p.m. yesterday he still was not a registered Democrat," executive committee member Jay Johnson said of the Club's decision not to endorse de la Torre for one of the four open school board seats.

"He was previously registered as a Independent and prior to that he was registered as a Democrat in the City of Los Angeles," said Johnson, who is a member of the City's Planning Commission.

De la Torre took the club's decision in stride.

"I registered in Santa Monica thinking it was a non-partisan race, and that it wouldn't be an issue," de la Torre said of his previous Independent standing.

When he went to re-register "it took longer than I expected" to show up on the registrars records.

"I wasn't switching parties, I just made the mistake of not turning the thing in on time," he said. "I've been an active Democrat all of my political life. I value the endorsement [of the Democratic Club] on principle. While I didn't get the endorsement, I respect the process and I look forward to working closely with the leadership of the Democratic Club in the future."

Johnson said that while de la Torre argued that he had originally registered as an Independent because the race was "non-partisan," causing him some confusion, the club was "not inclined to vote to endorse someone who was not a Democrat."

"He was not a Democrat when we did our interviews, and the Registrar of Voters did not have him registered even though he claims he registered [as a Democrat] on Monday," said Johnson. "But it was a much talked about issue, and it was a split vote."

"For the time being we decided to stick with past practice," said board member Patricia Hoffman. "Oscar did become a Democrat, apparently only a couple of days ago. The club put the consideration of an endorsement aside for the time being."

Given the Club's charter and the recommendations from its Steering Committee, it was no surprise that the only endorsements for the three open City Council seats went to incumbent Pam O'Conner and to Abby Arnold. Both have received key endorsements from Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights, The Committee to Protect the Living Wage and State Sen. Sheila Kuehl.

(Incumbent Kevin McKeown, who received the nod from SMRR and the pro-labor committee did not qualify for the club's endorsement because he is a Green Party member.)

In the race for four School Board seats Brenda Gottfried -- who had been recommended by the group's steering committee -- got the boot, and Julia Brownley and Emily Bloomfield walked away with the endorsement.

In the race for four College Board seats the club chose Dorothy Erhart-Morrison, as well as SMRR co-chair Nancy Greenstein and Bill Winslow.

Rent Control Board endorsements went to incumbents Betty S. Mueller and Alan Toy, as well as Jennifer Kennedy.