Natalya Zernitskaya

A graduate of UC Santa Cruz, Natalya Zernitskaya moved to Santa Monica 10 years ago to be part of a community that puts people first. Since then, she has used her unique experiences to advocate for progressive policies in the areas of housing, restorative justice, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, mobility, voting rights, good governance, and education. Natalya is running for Santa Monica City Council to use this experience to return her city to the progressive beacon it once was. Facing persecution, Natalya and her parents fled Belarus in the former Soviet Union when she was six. Like many refugees who arrived in the U.S with only a few hundred dollars, Natalya learned quickly the importance of government safety nets – such as food stamps and a rent-controlled apartment – and how unions gave families like hers better lives. Those experiences shaped her progressive values and commitment to social and economic justice. Her priorities on the City Council include finding innovative solutions to solving the major challenges facing the city: housing affordability, homelessness, public safety, and economic recovery. A professional financial analyst, Natalya was one of two resident appointees to the City Council’s Audit Subcommittee. She serves on the boards of the Santa Monica Democratic Club, the Human Relations Council of the Santa Monica Bay Area, the International Women’s Resource Center, Climate Action Santa Monica and is an appointed delegate to the California Democratic Party. She is a past president of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica.