Media

July 1, 2026

Santa Monica, CA — Santa Monica City Council candidate Brett Morrow announced today that his campaign raised $40,547 by the June 30 campaign finance reporting deadline, with an additional $2,000 in contributions already committed and currently in the mail, marking one of the strongest fundraising performances by a progressive first-time candidate in recent Santa Monica history.

The campaign's early success has been fueled by broad grassroots support from neighbors, friends, community leaders, and residents who believe Santa Monica can be more affordable, safer, and better managed. The campaign has received 237 contributions from 187 unique donors. The median contribution was just $100, and nearly 90% of all contributions were $250 or less, reflecting broad grassroots support rather than reliance on a handful of large donors.

Including the committed donations, the campaign's fundraising total comes within just $766 of Councilmember Dan Hall's $43,312.95 raised by the same reporting deadline in 2024, the highest known June 30 fundraising total ever achieved by a first-time progressive candidate for Santa Monica City Council.

The campaign also announced the endorsement of Santa Monica City Councilmember Barry Snell, who joins a growing coalition of local leaders supporting Morrow's candidacy.

"Since launching this campaign, I've spent countless hours talking with neighbors, listening to people's concerns, knocking on doors, attending community events, and having honest conversations about where Santa Monica is today and where we need to go," Morrow said. "This fundraising milestone tells me those conversations are resonating. I'm incredibly grateful to everyone who has donated, volunteered, hosted an event, or encouraged others to get in touch. I'm also honored to earn Councilmember Barry Snell's endorsement and grateful for his confidence in this campaign. Barry's decades of public service and commitment to Santa Monica have earned him the respect of our community, and I'm grateful to have his support as we continue building a coalition committed to making our city more affordable, safer, and better managed."

Morrow, a renter for nearly his entire life, working parent, and the former Chair of the Santa Monica Human Services Commission, launched his campaign in April with a focus on affordability, supporting working families, addressing homelessness, strengthening neighborhood quality of life, improving pedestrian safety, supporting small businesses, strengthening schools, and delivering effective, data-driven local government.

Councilmember Barry Snell joins a growing list of community leaders supporting Morrow's campaign, including:

• Dan Hall, Santa Monica City Councilmember

• Anastasia Foster, Santa Monica College Board Trustee

• Debbie Mulvaney, Community for Excellent Public Schools Steering Committee Member

• Cynthia Rose, Community Advocate, Founder, Co-Chair, Santa Monica Safe Streets Alliance, Co-Founder and Director, SM Spoke, HRC Santa Monica Board Member, Santa Monica Forward Steering Committee Member

• Todd Flora, Former Santa Monica Rent Control Board Chair

• Andrew Sprung, Executive Board Member, Santa Monica Democratic Club

Experience

Brett brings more than two decades of communications experience in the public and private sectors to the race, including senior roles in Congress and local government. He previously served as a senior staffer and communications director for Adam Schiff, Mark Takano, and Keith Ellison, working on developing and communicating policies aimed at expanding opportunity, addressing affordability, strengthening worker protections, supporting childcare and early education, improving transit access, advancing civil rights, expanding healthcare coverage, and tackling climate challenges.

In his current role as the Chief Communications Officer for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Brett focuses on advancing the health and well-being of 10 million residents, connecting them to services, delivering clear, fact-based information, conducting community outreach, and ensuring resources get to communities with the least access.

This experienced approach will guide his work on the City Council, emphasizing practical solutions and experience over political theater.

In early 2025, the Santa Monica City Council appointed Brett to serve on the Human Services Commission, where he receives briefings, provides input, and makes recommendations on policies and programs affecting low-income residents, seniors, people experiencing homelessness, LGBTQ+ residents, and other vulnerable communities. In July 2025, he was appointed as Chair of the commission, where he works closely with city staff to guide agendas, facilitate meetings, and ensure thoughtful, productive discussions that lead to clear and actionable recommendations.

About Brett Morrow

Raised by working parents in Southern California, Brett is a renter whose father spent nearly 30 years as a union telephone repair technician, while also owning and operating small businesses both during his career and after retirement. His mother ran her own small housekeeping business, building it through word of mouth. Brett accompanied his father to picket lines as a child and credits those early experiences, along with watching both parents run small businesses, with shaping how he thinks about fairness, hard work, and what it means to stand up for working families.

After nearly a decade working in the entertainment industry in Los Angeles, Brett lived and worked in Washington, D.C. for five years. When he returned to Los Angeles in 2017, he met his future wife Michelle (who was born and raised in Santa Monica) and resided in West LA.

Although they lived in West LA, much of their life together was spent in Santa Monica, where Brett first developed a connection to the city. After the birth of their daughter, they chose Santa Monica as their home, drawn by its family-friendly neighborhoods, top-tier public schools, culture of inclusion, and civic engagement.

In 2025, Brett launched Only in Santa Monica in his free time, a social media channel highlighting the city’s history, food, culture, local businesses, and civic life. The stories and conversations strengthened his commitment to the city and ultimately inspired his run for City Council.

For more information, visit brettmorrowforcitycouncil.com.