2026 will be an interesting year in West Hollywood politics. The term-limit initiative Measure C that was passed by voters in a citywide referendum back in 2013 will cost two WeHo City Council members their seats.
Mayor John Heilman will take one last turn on the West Hollywood City Council. Heilman was first elected in 1984 and has served over 40 years in public office. When John Heilman gets sworn in on January 12, 2025, it will be his 9th time serving as Mayor of the City of West Hollywood. Heilman previously served as WeHo’s Mayor in 1985, 1990, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2006, 2010, and 2017. The extraordinary career of John Heilman has 16 regular City Council meetings left, 1 post-election during the election certification time, and 1 final meeting to say goodbye.
Council member Lauren Meister ran the Measure C campaign to enact term limits in 2013 after two unsuccessful runs for the City Council. In 2015, neighborhood activist Lauren Meister ran for her 3rd time and toppled the long-term City Council member. In that 2015 election, Meister was joined with Lindsey Horvath in her first elected term to the WeHo City Council, and John D’Amico rounded out the 3 seats on the ballot. Heilman came in 4th in the March 2015 election.
But in the same year, WeHo Councilman Jeffrey Prang ran for the Los Angeles County Assessor’s office and won. The open seat would allow Heilman to immediately run again in a special election, and in June 2015 John Heilman was again elected to the City Council. Heilman would lose again in 2020 to former council member Sepi Shyne and current council member John Erickson. In 2022, Heilman ran again for one last remaining term. This will be Heilman’s last year eligible to serve as a West Hollywood council member.
Meister has served only twice as Mayor during her tenure on the City Council. Meister was WeHo’s Mayor in 2016-2017 and then again in 2021-2023 in a slightly extended term.
The 2026 West Hollywood election will have three seats on the ballot. Mayor Chelsea Byers is expected to seek a second term on the West Hollywood City Council.
There are a number of candidates who have pre-announced or are rumored to be running in 2026. WEHOonline will follow up on candidate announcements as they become public information.
Sad to see Lauren Meister, the last, common sense council member (and Heilman on a good day when he doesn’t wander too far to the far progressive dark side) in her last year of service to the city as a councilmember. One of the worst things to happen in West Hollywood is that we aligned our local election to coincide with our general election. While we get a far better turnout, aligning ourselves with the general election, we get a larger number of people voting by whose face they recognize more or who’s gay or who’s the first this or… Read more »
WE NEED NEW COUNCIL MEMBERS WITH LAUREN MEISTER’S INTEGRITY. THE CURRENT MEMBERS ARE SOLD TO DEVELOPERS. THEY ARE BETRAYING WEHO RESIDENTS’ WELFARE AND SAFETY TO ADVANCE THEIR POLITICAL CAREERS