By Jonathan Friedman
Associate Editor

September 12, 2016 -- The Santa Monica Democratic Club on Thursday voted to endorse City Council incumbents Gleam Davis, Tony Vazquez and Ted Winterer. It did not support a fourth candidate despite the November election being for four seats.

Terry O’Day was the lone incumbent not to receive the club’s backing. This means the Democratic Club’s endorsement list matches the slate for Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights (SMRR), something that has not happened since 2010.

The Democratic Club endorsed the candidates recommended by its executive committee. Members attending the Thursday meeting voted on the endorsements. Only Democrats were eligible.

The club's recent success rate in being able to pick the winners in City Council campaigns is mixed.

In 2014, the club only backed two candidates -- Kevin McKeown and Sue Himmelrich -- who both won. The third winner, Pam O’Connor, was not endorsed (“Santa Monica Democrats Back McKeown and Himmelrich for Council Race,” September 4, 2014).

Two years earlier, the club only endorsed one candidate -- Winterer (“Santa Monica Democratic Club Endorses One Challenger, Snubs Council Incumbents and Mayor,” September 14, 2012).

And in 2010 when there were five council seats on the line, the club backed four of the eventual winners. The only one not to win that year was Winterer (“Democratic Club Makes Same Endorsements as SMRR,” September 16, 2010).

Also at the endorsement meeting, the club voted to back challenger Sion Roy in the race for three seats on the Santa Monica College (SMC) board, along with incumbents Susan Aminoff and Rob Rader, who were both chosen onn a second ballot.

This decision was in contrast to the one made at the SMRR convention, where the endorsement went to the incumbents -- Rob Rader, Susan Aminoff and Margaret Quinones (“Santa Monica Incumbents Dominate in SMRR Endorsements for Elected Boards,” August 1, 2016).

The Democratic Club is expected to make endorsements for the Rent Control Board race and ballot measures on Monday night.

Note: A previous version of this article stated that Sion Roy was the only candidate endorsed by the Democratic Club for College Board. Incumbents Susan Aminoff and Rob Rader were endorsed on a second ballot.