By Jorge Casuso

July 23, 2024 -- As of the end of the day Tuesday, 14 candidates -- none of them incumbents -- had pulled nomination papers to run for four open City Council seats, including Rent Board Chair Erika Lesley.

Lesley, who picked up paperwork from the City Clerk on Friday, was the most notable addition to the growing field of candidates and could potentially change the dynamics of the hotly contested race.

Earlier this month, Lesley failed to win the support of Santa Monica's political establishment, which will present a united front after its two major groups endorsed the same four candidates.

By backing a single slate, Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights (SMRR) and the local Democratic Club hope to avoid a repeat of 2022, when rival candidates rounded out the three-member slate splitting the vote.

Lesley's candidacy could similarly siphon votes this November from the four establishment candidates -- Barry Snell, Ellis Raskin, Natalya Zernitskaya and Dan Hall -- all of whom pulled papers on the first two days last week.

Absent from the list posted Tuesday were three incumbents who are members of the Change majority on the seven member Council -- Mayor Phil Brock and Councilmembers Oscar de la Torre and Christine Parra.

De la Torre has said he is running, and Brock is widely expected to run, but Parra has not announced her decision, although there is widespread speculation she will not seek a second term.

The three Change members on the Council were elected to four-year terms in 2020 after voters ousted three City Council incumbents -- as many in one race as had been defeated in the previous 26 years. ("A Perfect Storm Swept Incumbents Out of Office," November 23, 2020).

The other incumbent, Gleam Davis, who has been backed by SMRR and the Dem Club in her four previous Council bids, announced she would not seek reelection.

In addition to Lesley, Jonathan Mann pulled nominating petitions last week, extending his decades-long streak to a record 17th run for Council.

Throwing their hats into the ring this week were Nathaniel Jones, who ran for Council in 2020; Wade Kelley, and Marcus Owens, who sought the Dem Club's endorsement.

The nomination period for City Council takes place from July 15 to August 19 and will be extended to August 24 if an incumbent does not file.

To qualify for the ballot, candidates must have at least 100 valid signatures from registered Santa Monica voters. A $25 filing fee must be paid at the time petitions and forms are filed.

Those who wish to have a Candidate Statement included in the Sample Ballot, must pay a $1,100 fee at the time of filing.

The LA County Registrar will begin mailing Vote by Mail ballots to voters on October 7. The last day to register to vote is October 21. Election Day is November 5.