Daniel S. Ivanov, chair of the Santa Monica Rent Control Board, is running for one of three Santa Monica City Council seats on the Nov. 3, 2026, ballot.
The race is nonpartisan, and voters will choose up to three candidates, according to the city's election page. Ivanov is running on a platform focused on transparency and improving basic city services, Santa Monica Next reported in May 2026.
Candidate information
- Office sought: Santa Monica City Council (3 seats; voters choose up to 3)
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Education: Law degree, The George Washington University Law School (2020); University of Miami (2017)
- Residence: Santa Monica since March 2021; raised in Buffalo Grove, Ill.
- Memberships: Santa Monica Democratic Club, where he held the position of vice president of political action; Santa Monicans for Renters' Rights
- Campaign website: electdannyivanov.com
Biography details are claimed by the candidate in a Santa Monica Democratic Club questionnaire submitted during his 2022 Rent Control Board campaign.
Experience and public service
Ivanov was elected to the Santa Monica Rent Control Board in 2022 and serves as its chair, according to his city candidate profile. He works as an attorney at Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, according to his questionnaire response.
His earlier political experience, as stated in the same questionnaire, includes work as a field organizer for Charlie Crist's 2014 Florida gubernatorial campaign, a field organizer for Tom Cullerton's 2016 Illinois State Senate campaign, an intern with the Tenth Congressional District Democrats in Highland Park, Ill., in 2017 and a get-out-the-vote worker for the Democratic National Committee in 2018.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Ivanov's responses to the Santa Monica Democratic Club's 2022 Rent Control Board candidate questionnaire. They reflect his stated views at that time.
Rent control: Ivanov said he is running to protect Santa Monica's 1979 rent control charter and to guard against any effort to weaken rent control. He said he opposes means-testing of rent control and supports capping the general adjustment at 3% rather than 6%. He also said he supports reforming the Ellis Act to prevent speculative displacement of tenants.
Affordable housing: Ivanov said he supports using city-owned land for new affordable housing construction, citing the Parking Structure 3 project as a model. He said he favors requiring a greater percentage of affordable units in new mixed-use developments to meet Regional Housing Needs Assessment targets.
City government: His platform centers on transparency and basic services. Santa Monica Next reported in May 2026 that Ivanov is appealing to voters frustrated with City Hall.
The other candidates certified for this race are Ashley Oelsen, Brett Morrow, Caroline Torosis, Derrick Townsend, Doug Trussler, Eli Gill, Ericka Lesley, Lana Negrete, Lindsay Davis, Phil Brock and Wade Kelley.
Candidate issue positions are based on questionnaire responses submitted during Ivanov's 2022 Rent Control Board campaign. Voters should verify whether these positions have been updated for the 2026 City Council race.
