Conservation biologist Ashley Oelsen is running for Santa Monica City Council in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 election. The nonpartisan race has 11 other candidates competing for three open seats.
Oelsen, who has lived in Santa Monica for more than 15 years, said her campaign rests on three pillars: a sustainable environment, sound city finances and safe streets. She has been described as a vocal critic of the current council's pro-development policies by The Lookout.
Candidate information
- Party: Nonpartisan
- Residence: Santa Monica (more than 15 years; family in Santa Monica for over 60 years, according to the candidate)
- Education: Master's degree in environmental policy and environmental science, University of Pennsylvania; bachelor's degree and graduate degree, University of Southern California (according to the candidate)
- Background: Oelsen said she is the first in her family to go to college and was raised by a single mother who was a flight attendant.
- Endorsements: Santa Monica Firefighters, IAFF Local 1109; Santa Monica Police Officers Association; Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City; Tricia Crane, Board of Northeast Neighbors, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press
Experience and public service
Oelsen said she worked as a policy lobbyist at the International Fund for Animal Welfare and as a directorate fellow at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She serves as a commissioner on Santa Monica's Commission on Sustainability, Environmental Justice and the Environment, according to Capital and Main. She said she chairs the Clean Oceans and Beaches Measure V Oversight Committee.
Oelsen is a leader at Santa Monicans United, a civic organization, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. She said she also serves on the boards of the Santa Monica Bay Audubon Society and Helping Hub.
After the January 2025 Palisades fire, Oelsen spent several hours each day collecting ash and soot samples from Santa Monica beaches to test for toxic materials.
She paid approximately $8,000 of her own money for laboratory testing, Capital and Main reported.
On the issues
Environment and coastal protection: Oelsen's campaign centers environmental stewardship, including clean water, safe beaches and evidence-based environmental decisions, according to her campaign newsletter. She led community opposition to AB 1740, a bill that would have exempted Santa Monica from California Coastal Commission oversight, writing op-eds against the measure, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.
Housing and development: Oelsen said she would not upzone single-family neighborhoods. She said she would not upzone anything until infrastructure and evacuation studies are completed and community input is gathered.
Homelessness: Oelsen said she supports homelessness programs with measurable outcomes, including tracked job placement and retention rates.
City finances: Oelsen said her platform includes fiscal responsibility and long-term budget thinking.
Public safety: She has public-safety union backing. Oelsen said her campaign supports police and prioritizes safe streets.
The Nov. 3 election is nonpartisan. Voters choose up to three candidates. Other candidates certified for the ballot: Brett Morrow, Caroline Torosis, Daniel S. Ivanov, Derrick Townsend, Doug Trussler, Eli Gill, Ericka Lesley, Lana Negrete, Lindsay Davis, Phil Brock and Wade Kelley.
Candidate responses referenced in this profile were drawn from an interview with the Santa Monica Democratic Club and the candidate's campaign newsletter.
