Santa Monica To Swear In New Mayor

SANTA MONICA, CA — A new mayor of Santa Monica will be sworn in next Tuesday, with Mayor Pro Tem Caroline Torosis taking the helm from Mayor Lana Negrete, city officials announced.

To commemorate the mayoral transition, the city said it will host a reception at City Hall from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9.

During her tenure as mayor, “Negrete served as part of the city’s response to the Palisades Fire, including recovery efforts focused on business support,” according to city officials.

Negrete, a Santa Monica native who owns Santa Monica Music Center, tried to get young people involved in government and worked to inform the community about city processes.

Negrete will again serve as a council member, officials said.

Torosis was elected in 2022 and has been the city’s mayor pro tem for the past year.

Before becoming a city council member, Torosis served on the city’s rent control board, officials said.

Torosis works as the policy director for Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, according to the city. Torosis is also a member of the County's Women's Leadership Council.

As she campaigned for public office, Torosis said she would tackle the city's pressing issues, including homelessness, public safety, economic recovery and affordable housing, according to her website.

Jesse Zwick, who grew up in Santa Monica and works as Southern California Director for the Housing Action Coalition, will be appointed mayor pro tem.