Negrete, Torosis Lead Santa Monica Council Race
Early returns show Lana Negrete and Caroline Torosis ahead in a twelve-candidate field for three seats on the Santa Monica City Council.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in City Hall
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Lana Negrete and Caroline Torosis led the Santa Monica City Council race in early Los Angeles County returns from the November 3 election. Ashley Oelsen held third place, with Doug Trussler 917 votes behind her.
Why it matters
The early returns indicate which candidates may fill three four-year council seats in Santa Monica, a city that also voted on parcel tax and other measures. Final outcomes will depend on later counts of vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
Negrete drew 9,728 votes (16.31%) and Torosis 9,248 (15.51%) in the first county bulletin, against a twelve-candidate field for three seats. Certification is expected later this month, and the county is still counting vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
The players
Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the United States and runs the vote counting and election bulletins for Santa Monica.
Believe In Santa Monica
Believe In Santa Monica is a local political group that backed Negrete and Trussler's rival slate in the council race.
The details
Negrete and Trussler ran together as a rival slate backed by public safety unions and the Believe In Santa Monica group. Measure ES, a parcel tax of $495 per taxable parcel projected to raise $12 million a year for schools, was narrowly trailing with 47.02% yes, while Measure TT had 73.20% and Measure RR 70.68% yes in early returns.
Timeline
Election night, November 3, 2026: first Los Angeles County bulletin released at 8:31 p.m.
Later in November 2026: certification of results expected
Political Context
Negrete and Trussler's slate is a rival ticket to the candidates favored by others in the twelve-person field, reflecting the organized slate competition seen in recent Santa Monica council contests. Any parcel tax passage would also shape how the next council allocates school-related revenue.
Residents who approve or reject Measure ES would face a $495 annual parcel tax per taxable parcel if it passes. The council seats decided by this vote will set local decisions on city spending and policy for the next four years.
The takeaway
Early returns are a snapshot, and voters should watch for certified results later this month to see which candidates and measures ultimately prevail.
What happens next
Certification of the election results is expected later this month, after the county finishes counting vote-by-mail and provisional ballots.
Further reading
Follow more local coverage in Santa Monica City Hall.
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