Pamela Conley Ulich celebrates with “circle of love;” Jefferson Wagner says being a longtime resident helped him win.
By Nora Fleming, Jonathan Friedman and Vicky Shere
Cross Creek Plaza was victory central as Pamela Conley Ulich and Jefferson “Zuma Jay” Wagner celebrated taking the top two spots in the election at parties in the area Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Kathy Wisnicki and John Sibert, who attended the same party at the Malibu Performing Arts Center, became rivals as they learned they would be battling for the third and final seat on Wednesday when the remaining ballots are counted.
Conley Ulich’s blowout victory was expected, as she had received support from both perceived separate political factions within the city. In a small, low-lit room at Guido’s, about 20 Conley Ulich supporters celebrated the win by holding hands in what Conley Ulich called a “Circle of Love,” the name she also gave to her victory party.
Malibu’s next mayor said the ceremony was emblematic of the election.
“People have been brought together,” Conley Ulich said. “We want a new model for policy. It’s time to end the circle of abuse.”
Conley Ulich’s success was no surprise to supporter Bonnie Reiss, a four-year veteran of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s staff.
“I’ve never seen higher favorable ratings or lower unfavorable ratings and that’s because she treats everyone with respect,” Reiss said. “[Conley Ulich] is all about the people of Malibu and doing what’s right.”
Conley Ulich has a blizzard of plans for the new council’s first 100 days.
In May, she wants to hold a Town Hall meeting with residents and officials on dealing with wildfires. “I want to empower people,” Conley Ulich said.
She also wants to roll out initiatives on Malibu as an environmentally sustainable city, cleaning the ocean and creating ordinances on limiting chain stores, encouraging arts and combating the paparazzi.
Former Planning Commissioner Richard Carrigan said he has confidence in Conley Ulich.
“With the respect that she shows her constituents, if anyone can bring about change, it will be our new mayor,” Carrigan said.
Meanwhile, just a few doors down at Casa Escobar, Wagner enjoyed the smell of victory in a win that even he found surprising.
“Look at the political machine I was going against,” Wagner said. “I didn’t raise much money. I was at the Marine base half the time. My dad died in the middle of this. I didn’t give this [campaign] the proper time.”
Although he has a great deal of name recognition with his surf shop and history as an actor and model, Wagner said he didn’t think that was what got him the victory. “Not everybody who voted surfs,” he joked.
He said being a longtime resident was what helped, and his victory was obtained with the support of fellow longtime residents.
Pointing at some of those supporters, he said, “You see all these guys here, these are the hardcore nuts and bolts of Malibu … This is the old guard. And I mean that. They are the people who really have their heart into this.”
Wagner said his win was a sign the residents are “definitely ready for a change and they’re tired of the usual.”
But he said he would be able to work with anybody, including City Council members Andy Stern and Sharon Barovsky, two people who are not usually on the same side with him politically.
“I like Sharon,” he said. “She tells it like it is. She doesn’t like me. But that’s OK. And Andy I never had a problem with.”
Wagner said whoever wins between Sibert and Wisnicki will have seen that “change has started.”
During the campaign, Wagner had to deal with several incidents of harassment, including two threat letters and graffiti spray painted on his business.
“I think whoever put that campaign together is going to probably wish they hadn’t,” Wagner said. “What it did is point out the deficiencies and the failure on their part to present a real strong case [for their candidates].”
Wagner has a main residence outside of Malibu, but is now living in an apartment within city limits. He said he would not be surprised if somebody tries to file a lawsuit about this. “If it comes down to that, it’s pretty trite. The people have spoken.”
Susan Tellem, who also spent the night at Casa Escobar, said she wasn’t disappointed in the results despite her last place finish.
“I’m amazed that I even broke a thousand [votes],” she said. “That’s all I cared about. People didn’t know who I was until four months ago.”
She said she plans to run again in two years.
Sibert and Wisnicki declined to guess who would be the winner between the two. Wisnicki said she knew she and Sibert would have a close race, but she thought it would be between who got second and third. But win or lose, she said she was pleased with her campaign.
“I can go to sleep tonight knowing I ran a clean campaign,” Wisnicki said.
Sibert said, “I’d rather lose honorably, rather than win dishonorably.”
Councilmember Stern, who attended the festivities at the MPAC, said, “Certain candidates established a new low in campaigning.” He did not go into specifics.
Barovsky said phone calls were made attacking the personal lives of candidates, and called that “a new low.”
“It was the most despicable campaign in the history of Malibu,” she said.
Outgoing Mayor Jeff Jennings, a campaign veteran, had a different take. “We didn’t experience the same level of intensity that characterized campaigns of the past.”
Kimberly Kilgore contributed to this story.