Last week I received a truly odd political mailer. The front featured four Warhol-like donkeys, but with bleached blonde hair, blue eye shadow and red lipstick. “Who is the Real Progressive for Senate?” asked the donkeys. When I flipped the mailer over, there was John Erickson, the jackass who inspired the caricatures.
Given the donkey’s long face and strong jaw line, there was an uncanny resemblance to Council member Erickson, even without reference to the bleached hair and makeup. Given all the grief the Democratic Party has suffered over issues of gender identity, you would think using donkeys in drag would not exactly be the way to promote anyone for State Senate.
Most of my friends and neighbors who saw this mailer thought it was a hit piece, but in fact the authors were “Progressives for John Erickson for Senate 2026”, an independent expenditure committee. The problem with IE committees is that they are totally outside the control of the candidate they support. I can’t imagine that being associated with a cross-dressing donkey would be a goal of the Erickson campaign.
This is at least the third mailer for Erickson I have received from this IE Committee. Given that West Hollywood should be a bastion of support for John Erickson’s Senate bid, it would seem senseless to be dumping excessive mail in your supposed stronghold. But as the candidate is learning, West Hollywood is a hotbed of opposition to his Senate bid rather than a safe home base. Therefore his supporters are frantically flooding WeHo mailboxes.
I take solace in the fact that money on mailers sent to WeHo voters means less mail elsewhere in the District.
I also think that a few mailers are not going to turn around the negative local opinions of the candidate. A political career based on bullying, arrogance and lies is not easily forgotten or forgiven. Politics is local and no one has forgotten the Fountain “Re-Design”.
It has been a bad couple of weeks for the Erickson campaign. Two weeks ago, the Goldsmith campaign, aided by West Hollywood activists, successfully derailed Erickson’s endorsement by the West Hollywood Democratic Club. Then last week, Stonewall Democratic Club also failed to endorse Erickson, despite the heavy support of County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath. What was ironic about the Stonewall endorsement process was that Erickson was edged out by Ellen Evans, a candidate who is underfunded and given little chance of surviving the primary. But Ellen has a calm and pleasant demeanor, in stark contrast to Erickson’s reputation for snarky bullying. Stonewall members have had the same experience with Erickson’s arrogance as the folks in West Hollywood. It’s too bad when the chickens come home to roost.
We also saw that Erickson was complaining that our Assembly member, Rick Zbur, was “bad mouthing” him. Zbur has endorsed other candidates and is apparently telling people to vote for anyone but Erickson. You have to really work hard to upset someone as levelheaded as Zbur. Frankly if my Assembly member was badmouthing me, I wouldn’t be drawing attention to it.
Just as the West Hollywood City Council voted to send Erickson, Chelsea Byers and Danny Hang to Amsterdam this June for “Canal Pride”, unflattering ads started running on television about Erickson’s junkets to Rome and Paris on the taxpayer’s dime. While I personally feel Erickson can do less harm to West Hollywood when he is outside the country, it is difficult to see why he and the others need to be in Amsterdam. Their smiling faces will not fill the empty hotel rooms on the Sunset Strip. It is simply a classic junket.
Supervisor Lindsay Horvath has placed a lot of political chits and prestige on the line in pressuring other elected officials to endorse Erickson in this race. But it seems her efforts are floundering. Horvath just can’t put enough lipstick on that pig. Or that jackass.
-Steve Martin
West Hollywood
When I saw the photos at the top of this article, I figured it was a campaign mailer from a John Erickson opponent. Imagine my surprise when I read that the mailer was from a Erickson supporter!!??
This supposedly supporter must really do not want Erickson in the state senate. LOL!!
Erickson is such a “Progressive” that he endorsed the Republican Supervisor Barger in her reelection. You know the one who ran to CNN to gush about the MAGA hats and signed Bible Trump gave her.
How apt. Erickson has aways been an a$$. Now he’s coming out as one.
I’m NEVER voting for another progressive…EVER. Their policies have destroyed this city/state. Give me more centrist candidates…the state desperately needs an enema.
John Erickson thinks he’s so smart…but he’s not…he is laughable! If you listen to him closely, you’ll hear him constantly using big words just because he thinks they sound impressive. His purpose is not to communicate, but rather to impress those he thinks are not as “smart” as he is. The funny part is that the words he uses are often the wrong words! One example I can think of right off the top of my head is the word “tantamount.” he has used that several times in sentences when he really should be using the word “paramount.” But, the… Read more »
Well said, Just Sayin’!
Use them in a sentence , you say?
Here you go!
Nipping John Erickson’s diseased political career in the bud is paramount.
Failing to do so is tantamount to voter negligence.
Well done, Jay! You get a gold star ⭐️ for both using the two words correctly and for creating two sentences that I 100% agree with! ⭐️
If only we had Florida’s ” resign to run” law. Created to thwart sorcual elections when someone goes gor another rung on the ladder. You had to give up your seat to run for another office. Cut down on people running without worry of losing their seat. He’ll be lucky to come in 3rd.
I haven’t yet decided who I am voting for, but I’ve known all along who I am not voting for. Steve says everything I’ve thought about John. He’s a likable guy, but his actions on city council and his pettiness and vindictiveness have been a disgrace to both him and the city of West Hollywood. The only downside to him losing this election is it will be stuck with him on city Council for two more years, but maybe his wings will be clipped a little bit. But then we have his little puppy dog Danny to deal with.
Truth! This made my day. Thank you, Steve.
John Erickson will soon (but not soon enough!) be left in West Hollywood’s rearview mirror, joining Sepsis Shyne.
Put up your window I think I smell something no bueno, as Manny would say!
This piece gets at something a lot of people see but don’t always say out loud. John Erickson’s Senate run feels less like a response to a broader regional need and more like the next step in a very predictable ladder. The same messaging, the same activist framing, the same tight network of validation that has defined his time in West Hollywood. That model may work in a small, insular political environment. It’s a very different question when you’re asking a much larger and more diverse electorate to buy into it. At some point, voters have to look past the… Read more »
A politician I could get behind is one that listens to those who may have a different point of view and come to an understanding.Over his time in West Hollywood, I have seen the opposite. No regard to bring a community together. It’s his way only.
Does the IE committee NOT know he’s “actually” a jackass? Guessing this mailer isn’t going anywhere outside WeHo since they must know he’s not revealing he’s gay.