The election of 2026 is nine months away and it’s sure to be a spirited political season, especially in the fight for West Hollywood City Council as 3 seats, possibly 4 are up for grabs.
Nationally the fight for control of the House of Representatives has fired up voters across the country. Locally, West Hollywood City Councilmember John Erickson is running to replace State Senator Ben Allen and represent California’s 24th State Senate District. There are a total of 40 State Senate Districts in the State of California with each State Senator representing 1/40th of the state’s population.
Erickson’s foray into the State Senate race creates a number of scenarios for the City of West Hollywood. There are three seats on this year’s ballot: Councilmember Byers, Councilmember Meister, and Mayor John Heilman. Both Councilmember Meister and Mayor Heilman are unable to run for re-election, which leaves Councilmember Byers as the only incumbent on this year’s city council ballot.
Councilmember Erickson’s race for State Senate sets up the potential for an additional open seat on the WeHo City Council. To win the State Senate, Erickson would need to finish among the top two candidates in the June 2026 primary, setting up a November runoff. Should Erickson succeed in the November election he would be forced to resign his city council seat before being sworn into the State Senate. The situation sets up for a 4-member WeHo city council who can then vote to appoint a city council member of their choice for the balance of Erickson’s term, or set up a special election for the open seat. That is what happened in 2015 when Councilmember Jeffrey Prang won his race for Los Angeles County Assessor, and the recently defeated John Heilman would run in a special election in 2015 for Prang’s open seat.
When Heilman ‘terms out’ this year he will have served out his term in the lineage of Prang’s seat.
Councilmember and former Mayor Chelsea Byers filed papers on February 13th, 2025 to seek re-election for her second term on the WeHo city council in November this year.
Mark R. Edwards filed his papers to be a candidate on August 11, 2025. Edwards was first appointed to the West Hollywood Planning Commission by Councilmember Byers in May 2023 and served until June 2024 until he resigned. In October 2025 Edwards was re-appointed as an at-large commissioner to the West Hollywood Planning Commission in a contentious vote. We wrote about it here.
Edwards is a former Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and lives in West Hollywood.
UNITE HERE Local 11 is expected to get behind the re-election of Byers and give their support to Edwards. It’s not clear who UNITE HERE Local 11 will get behind as their third choice, and achieve their goal of a 5-vote lock on the West Hollywood City Council.
Other candidates who have filed their intent to run in West Hollywood City Council election are:
Helen Kreiger. Kreiger filed her papers on January 8th, 2026. She is the direct-appointee of Councilmember Byers to the Transportation and Mobility Commission. Kreiger is the second female to declare and is the early favorite for UNITE HERE Local 11’s third endorsement.
Stephen Post. Post is an at-large appointee to the Public Safety Commission. Post filed his papes on January 19th, 2026. Stephen is a communications manager and campaign strategist for the Last Prisoner Project, a nonprofit focused on cannabis policy reform and redesigning the justice system. Post will compete with Kreiger for the 3rd spot on the UNITE HERE Local 11 ticket.
Joshua Baum. Baum is running to be the first non-binary person elected to the West Hollywood City Council. According to their website they describe themselves as an “urban economist, labor advocate, renter, and civic leader.”
This year there will be no WEHO PAC to offset the financial dominance of the UNITE HERE Local 11 candidates. In 2025, the Board of Directors of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce voted to dissolve its political action committee after a series of federal political practices commission violations and the felony arrest of one of its endorsed candidates.
As more candidates declare for West Hollywood City Council, WEHOonline will continue to update this story. All candidates will have equal opportunities to pitch the voters at WEHOonline, and we look forward to providing in-depth profiles of each candidate as the November election approaches.
I’ll be intending to run this election as the only Gay Republican & announcing it publicly (last election I emailed the city clerk Melissa asking for intent-to-run paperwork like Nickle/Erickson did but she never got back to me until 4 months+ later when we could pick up the nomination papers; DemocRATS do in fact steal elections) – I’m pro-Business(LOWER the minimum wage/Benefits; This two-mile bunch of BLOCKS-identifying-as-a-city do NOT have leverage to be demanding no $20/hour when businesses can merely move one block away and pay less—that’s exactly why over 150 businesses moved out) -I’m pro-Institutionalizing the severely mentally-ill &… Read more »
Once again for the record: When I worked for Mayor Karen Bass I was her Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs. Lastly, I have not been endorsed by Unite Here Local 11, because their process has not started for West Hollywood.
The article says is expected to get the endorsement of Unite Here. It does not say you have already been endorsed by Unite Here. I’ll be glad to eat those words if you do not attempt to seek or obtain their endorsement.
Where will the Meister vote go?
Not any of the Unite Here grifters, Thats for certain.
God help us! This city is doomed! You think it’s bad now… you ain’t seen nothing yet.
I’m running as the only Gay Republican lol; Make Weho Gay Again 😐
LOL. Where do you find these people?
Let’s not limit ourselves when we look at from whence outside interest money comes rolling in. Unite Here Local 11 does not stand alone. Keep an eye on Streets for All and Abundant Housing Los Angeles. Independent Expenditure (I. E.s) committees are not held to any donation limits. It was eye-popping how much was spent to elect Erickson and Hang in 2024. Follow the money and you will know who owns Weho City Council…and it is NOT the citizens.
It is unfortunate that West Hollywood is a city under occupation by Unite Here and its’ deep pocketed allies. Candidates will continue to be from a limited clique of out of touch progressives who have little connection with the realities of our City or the concerns residents deal with on a daily basis, but are focused on promoting agendas that are increasingly out of step with average voters who are essentially disenfranchised. John Erickson in the State Senate does not make me particularly optimistic about the future of California.
Couldn’t have put it better myself, Steve!
I’m running as a Gay Republican & Anti Unite Here; We need to Lower the minimum wage & slash job benefits; This city doesn’t have the leverage to demand no $20/hour; Businesses will just move one block over and pay less; Far-leftists hit business with a double-edge sword: Small businesses fold because they can’t pay/cover overhead, and big businesses figured they can move one block over)—Over 150 businesses already LEFT. I’ve NEVER seen so many Closed/For sale signs in ANY CITY. A bunch of blocks identifying as a city want $20/hour—DELUSIONAL!
City elections should be publicly funded & have ranked-choice voting; I’m running as a Gay Republican lmaooo