SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica posted on its website that on Tuesday, December 9 that Caroline Torosis will be sworn in as the next mayor of Santa Monica and Jesse Zwick will take the position of Mayor Pro Tem.
Torosis was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in 2022 and served as mayor pro tem for the past year. She previously served as commissioner on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board. She will take the helm from outgoing Mayor Lana Negrete, who has served in the position since 2024.
Born and raised in Santa Monica, Negrete owns Santa Monica Music Center. She previously served on the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission.
During her tenure, Mayor Negrete served as part of the city’s response to the Palisades Fire, including recovery efforts focused on business support. She focused on involving young people in government and on educating community members about the city’s processes. She was appointed to the SM City Council in 2012 and was Mayor Pro Tem from 2022-2024, and will transition back to the role of councilmember.
Torosis is a UCLA alumna and is a government affairs attorney and workforce and economic development expert with a juris doctorate from Washington University. She has a full-time job as the Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Mitchell. She is also a member of the County’s Women’s Leadership Council.
Zwick was elected in 2022. He grew up in Santa Monica, graduated from Harvard University, and worked as a journalist in Washington D.C. before returning home to write for film and television. He currently works as Southern California Director for the Housing Action Coalition.
Under council rules, the longest continuously serving councilmember will serve as mayor for a one-year term. If two or more councilmembers were elected in the same election, the councilmember receiving the higher number of votes shall be considered as having served longer for purposes of the rule.
A reception will be held in the City Hall lobby on December 9 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. with light snacks and refreshments. The reception is free and open to the public.
By Danny Jones