Editor's note: A previous version of this article stated that four City Council candidates exceeded 20,000 votes before the 2024 elections. The number is seven.

December 4, 2024 -- The four winners of the November 5 City Council race each received more than 20,000 votes, a threshold reached by only seven other candidates in Santa Monica's 149-year history.

Dan Hall, who chairs the Pier Corporation Board, finished first in the race for four open seats with 21,297 votes in his first Council bid, according to results certified by the LA County Registrar on Tuesday.

Fellow United slate member and Planning Commissioner Ellis Raskin, finished a close second with 21,215 votes, followed by College Trustee Barry Snell with 20,272 and Natalya Zernitskaya with 20,198 votes.

The four candidates were backed by the Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR), the local Democratic Club and the hotel workers union, the three most powerful forces in local politics.

The pro-law enforcement slate backed by Santa Monica's business community -- which outspent the United slate and its backers -- fell far short of winning a seat.

Mayor Phil Brock, who finished first in 2020 with 19,319 votes, finished fifth with 18,368 votes, followed by Councilmember Oscar de la Torre with 16,960 votes.

They were followed by business owners Vivian Rocknian with 16,960 votes and John Putnam with 16,200 votes. Neither had served on City Boards or Commissions.

Rent Board Chair Ericka Lesley finished a distant ninth with 9,476 votes followed by street performer Wade Kelly with 2,286 votes.

The four newly elected Councilmembers will be sworn in next Tuesday, giving Santa Monica's political establishment a commanding 6 to 1 majority on the Council.

Only seven other Council candidates in Santa Monica history have reached the 20,000 vote threshold achieved by the four members of the United slate.

Ken Edwards received a record 25,780 votes in 1984, while Bobby Shriver, a member of the Kennedy family, received 23,260 votes in 2004 and 24,298 votes in 2008, the only candidate to exceed 20,000 votes more than once.

Sue Himmelrich received the third most votes -- 23,419 -- in her 2018 reelection bid, while Mike Feinstein received 21,297 votes in his 2000 reelection bid.

Herb Katz received 21,198 in 1988, Richard Bloom received 20,232 in 2008, finishing second to Shriver, while James Conn received 20,073 in 1984.

Two of the seven candidates who exceeded the threshold -- Shriver and Katz -- won without the endorsement of SMRR.

In other local races, Measure F, which restructures the City's business taxes to fund essential City services, received 35,971 votes, or 78.31 percent, according to the certified results.

Measure K, which enhances public safety and creates safe routes to school by imposing a tax hike on private parking lots, received 34,669 votes, or 74.26 percent.

While Measure GS, a $495 million School bond to improve and replace District facilities in Santa Monica, received 28,473 votes, or 62.92 percent.

In the race for three seats on the School Board, the three incumbents were easily reelected. Jennifer Smith was the top vote getter with 28,882 votes.

She was followed by Jon Kean with 26,564 votes and Maria Leon-Vazquez with 26,454 votes. Christine Falaguerra, who did not mount a campaign, was a distant fourth with 14,503 votes.

There were no races for College or Rent Control boards due to a lack of challengers.

According to the LA County Registrar, a total of 3,793,106 ballots were processed and counted, with 66.12 percent of eligible voters casting ballots.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to declare the election officially concluded on Tuesday, December 17.

The Official Election Canvass began on November 6, and all outstanding ballots were reviewed and tallied once verified during the canvass period, the Registrar's office said.