Santa Monica Pulse November 2022 - Santa Monica Pulse

Santa Monica Pulse November 2022

It’s been almost a month since Election Day. With two new City Councilmembers voted in, and another reelected, our latest Santa Monica Pulse Poll asked residents what their top priority is for the new Council going forward. 

The majority (32 percent) of respondents said stopping overdevelopment was their main priority. Lowering crime rates and reducing homelessness were both tied for second place with 21 percent of the vote. Eight percent said revitalizing the economy. Another 16 percent chose to write in their own priority. The majority of these responses said “all of the above.”

During campaign season, two local interest groups, Santa Monicans for Renters’ Rights and Unite Here Local 11, ran an aggressive campaign against Councilmember Lana Negrete. Despite this campaign, Councilmember Negrete still won reelection. We asked residents if the campaign against her made them more or less likely to vote for her. Perhaps surprisingly, 42 percent said the campaign actually made them more likely to vote for her. Another 35 percent said it had no impact on their vote. 21 percent said it made them less likely to vote for her. 

We also asked residents about a proposed policy that would make neighborhood groups “refrain” from taking positions in local races. If they fail to do so — or don’t include a disclaimer — it would result in the group’s removal from the City’s website. A strong majority of 63 percent said they opposed such a policy. 17 percent said they supported the policy and another 19 percent said they weren’t sure.