Joshua Baum has withdrawn from the 2026 West Hollywood City Council race.
The candidate, who filed earlier this year with the goal of becoming the first non-binary person elected to the WeHo council, announced the decision in a statement posted to social media this week.
The reason given was the labor movement. Baum, who had run on a platform centered on affordability and economic fairness, said the two fights can’t share the same tank of fuel right now. “Running for office takes real focus. So does fighting for workers when jobs, wages, and economic security are on the line,” the statement read. Full energy and focus, Baum wrote, belongs in the labor movement.
Four candidates remain in the race for three open seats on the November ballot: incumbent Councilmember Chelsea Byers, Planning Commissioner Mark R. Edwards, Transportation and Mobility Commissioner Helen Kreiger, and communications strategist Stephen Post.
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