By Olin Ericksen
Staff Writer

Second of two parts

December 12 -- As Planning Commissioner Terry O'Day celebrated the birth of his second child, a girl, voters in tenant strongholds across the city were giving the novice candidate and homeowner a surprising show of support.

In 15 precincts with a large tenant base, O’Day finished third, behind Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights incumbents Kevin McKeown and Pam O’Connor, but ahead of SMRR candidate Gleam Davis, according to a analysis of election results by The Lookout News.

O’Day -- who did not seek the powerful tenant group’s backing -- finished ahead of Mayor Bob Holbrook in 23 precincts with large numbers of apartment dwellers, out-pacing the four-term incumbent by a total of 354 votes.

“It doesn't have to be business versus renters' rights and hotels versus the unions,” O'Day told The Lookout last week. “I think (the election results) says people are looking for problem solvers and are tired of polarization. This election highlighted that line.”

Despite wanting change, O'Day said it is tough to beat an incumbent who has built name recognition over the years.

Unlike Council member Bobby Shriver, who easily won the 2004 race in his first bid for elected office, O’Day didn’t have the Kennedy family member’s name or connections, and his $70,000 war chest paled in comparison to the nearly $400,000 Shiver spent on his campaign.

O’Day made a respectable showing "without a Kennedy name or a Kennedy bank account thrown into it…or at least his rolodex," he joked. "I think we did about all we could do."

His camp always tried to keep it positive in an election that saw negative campaigning at an all-time high in local politics, O’Day said.

"We were trying to create unity behind issues and cross bridges to solve problems," O'Day said of the divisive issues surrounding City growth.

The environment, traffic, planning and youth and gang-related violence in the Pico Neighborhood -- where he owns a condominium -- were all issues stressed by O’Day, who would have been the first Pico area resident elected to the council.

The issues seemed to resonate with voters, longtime political observers said.

"Despite name recognition and the lack of a long political track record showed himself to be a very attractive candidate to both sides," said Cameron, who called O'Day a consensus builder.

O’Day, along with Holbrook, was backed by Santa Monicans for Sensible Priorities (SMSP), which covered the city with lawn signs pushing the candidates and sent numerous fliers to voters as part of a $400,000 campaign bankrolled by the Edward Thomas Management Company.

"By and large, I think the election was determined by outside forces," said O'Day, who was backed by SMSP through independent expenditures, uncoordinated with his own campaign as mandated by election laws.

SMSP has “every right to promote who they want and I'm proud they chose to support me," O’Day said.

The Edward Thomas Management Company, which owns two beachfront hotels, also paid for an unprecedented Cable TV campaign opposing McKeown’s bid for a third council term.

"I never came out and disowned or discredited the message," he said, noting that several voters felt he was behind the controversial campaigns.

Looking back, O'Day said he considered speaking out just weeks before the election, but ultimately decided it would detract from the campaign his was running.

"I don't think it would have helped," he said. "There were a lot of voices in the campaign."

O'Day said he is now catching up with work and spending time with his family.

So will he make another run for the council?

The answer on election night was yes, O’ Day said.

But upon further reflection, the 33-year old Standford graduate in public policy, said he'll need to take further stock of his situation two years from now.

"One thing is certain, though," O'Day said, also mentioning his wife who works with autistic children. "We are a part of this community and settled here and are going to be working to make it better."