Five things you need to know this weekend in West Hollywood.
1. A New Poll Puts Brian Goldsmith at the Front of the SD-24 Pack — With Erickson Far Behind But — Gaining
A new poll, (one of the few conducted for this particular race) over May 27-28 shows Brian Goldsmith leading the California State Senate District 24 primary field at 22 percent among 425 likely primary voters.**
Goldsmith has gained 14 points since a similar poll ran April 15-19, when he stood at 8 percent. Kristina Irwin, the lone Republican with significant support, is at 20 percent, down 5 points from April. G. Rick Marshall, also a Republican, sits at 14 percent.
Among Democrats, John Erickson is at 13 percent, up 5 points. Sion Roy is also at 13 percent, up 3. The top two finishers advance to a November runoff regardless of party. Fourteen percent of all voters remain undecided, down from 36 percent in April.
Among voters who said they’ve already cast ballots — roughly 32 percent of the electorate — Goldsmith leads with 21 percent, followed by Irwin at 20, Marshall at 17, Roy at 16, and Erickson at 13. The survey of 425 likely primary voters carries a margin of error of plus or minus 4.75 percent.
**The survey was conducted by Gudelunas Strategies, a Democratic polling firm, on behalf of Progressive Leadership for Us, a Goldsmith-aligned independent expenditure committee. Independent polling in this race has been scarce. IE-affiliated surveys don’t necessarily reflect the full picture, but the methodology — 425 likely primary voters, mixed contact modes, plus or minus 4.75 percent margin of error — is consistent with standard practice.
The numbers raise a scenario some Democrats may not want to consider: with Irwin at 20 percent and Marshall at 14, two Republicans are collectively pulling 34 percent while three Democrats split their own electorate across Goldsmith, Erickson, and Roy.
2. WeHo Pride Parking: What You Need to Know Before You Go
WeHo Pride Weekend runs Friday, June 5 through Sunday, June 7, with West Hollywood Park and Santa Monica Boulevard closed to traffic throughout. The City has released its full parking and transit guide ahead of the event.
Permit parking requirements will be suspended Citywide starting Friday, June 5 at 4 p.m. through Monday, June 8 at 7 a.m. Parking meters will be enforced the entire weekend. If you park in Los Angeles or Beverly Hills, their restrictions apply — the WeHo suspension doesn’t cross city lines.
Limited paid public parking near West Hollywood Park will be available on a first-come, first-served basis at Pacific Design Center, 8687 Melrose Ave.; Kings Road Parking Structure, 8383 Santa Monica Blvd.; and Hancock Parking Structure, 901 Hancock Ave. During the Sunday parade, a special $20 event rate applies at Kings Road, Orange Grove, Queens, and Sunset garages.
The City’s free Pride Ride shuttle returns for 2026. Both the PickUp and Cityline will suspend regular schedules and run combined Pride Ride service Friday through Sunday, 5 p.m. to 3 a.m., along Santa Monica Boulevard from N. La Brea Avenue to N. Kings Road. Select vehicles will also loop to the Wilshire/La Cienega Metro D-Line Station, with pickup and drop-off on Melrose Avenue and Huntley Drive. There will be no Pride Ride service to Hollywood/Highland this year. Full details at wehopride.com/gettinghere.
3. Waymo Is Rolling Out a New Robotaxi in L.A. — and the First Rides Are Free
Waymo announced it’s launching a new self-driving vehicle called the Ojai in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. The rollout begins in the coming weeks with select customers. Initial rides will be free while the company collects feedback.
The Ojai is a minivan-style vehicle with sliding doors, more legroom than Waymo’s current cars, three interior screens, and accessibility features including Braille. It seats four passengers and carries more cargo than the Jaguar I-Pace taxis currently in service.
Waymo is starting with roughly 100 Ojai vehicles. The company plans to scale production significantly, eventually supplementing the fleet with retrofitted Hyundai IONIQ 5s. The longer-term goal is tens of thousands of driverless taxis per year. For West Hollywood riders already using Waymo along the Santa Monica Boulevard corridor, the Ojai expands what’s coming to your neighborhood.
4. The Chamberlain West Hollywood Just Sold for $43.5 Million
Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced it has completed the sale of the Chamberlain West Hollywood Hotel for $43.5 million. The 115-suite boutique property at 1000 Westmount Dr. has been part of the West Hollywood hospitality landscape for more than 20 years.
The building’s history goes back further than its current name. It was originally built in 1970 as an apartment complex, then converted into an all-suite hotel called Le Dufy by L’Ermitage Hotels in 1983. It was rebranded as the Chamberlain in 2005 following a full renovation and has since earned two Michelin Keys. Who bought the hotel and what they plan to do with it were not disclosed.
5. Residents Are Furious About a Proposed 90-Foot Digital Billboard Near Supreme on Sunset
The Planning Commission’s Sunset Arts and Advertising Subcommittee met Thursday night to review plans for a massive new digital billboard near the Supreme store and former Tower Records site on Sunset Boulevard at Horn Avenue. Many in the neighborhood are pretty pissed.
The proposed structure would include two digital LED sign faces. The larger face is approximately 50 feet wide by 30 feet tall — about 1,500 square feet of digital display — oriented toward the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and North San Vicente Boulevard. A second, smaller face measuring roughly 15 feet by 32 feet would face southeast.
The project’s own application acknowledges it exceeds City standards. It surpasses the maximum allowable digital sign area and exceeds the site’s 60-foot height limit. The billboard structure would reach approximately 90 feet.
Erickson couldn’t get elected dog catcher right now. I pray this holds for the remainder of his term.
Erickson is the progressive candidate. Mr Goldsmith is endorsed by establishment and corporate Democrats.
Erickson has no sense of decency and has failed us badly. The only commissioner that I’ve ever seen canvassing votes in the Norma Triangle is Lauren Meister. John would definitely get an earful if we saw him walking around trying to shake hands.
1. Wishing Brian Goldsmith a successful campaign. If John Erickson ends up being a spoiler for Goldsmith it will be yet another black mark on Erickson’s soon to be curtailed political career. 3. Have yet to take a Waymo, but once they work the kinks out, part of the future transportation picture for sure. 4. Hoping the mystery buyer isn’t planning to invoke Builders’ Remedy to erect another out of scale monstrosity. 5.Speaking of out of scale monstrosities, just ‘no’ to the Supreme middle finger to Sunset Blvd. Driver distracting, ugly digital billboards are already a cancer on Sunset, and… Read more »
If there are standards in place that limit the size/scope of digital billboards , why is something larger even up for discussion? That thing is a monstrosity. Billboards are part of the vibe on Sunset, I get it, but we don’t need that huge structure.
I suspect if West Hollywood was NOT part of the district, John Erickson would be doing better. From what I hear, plenty of WeHo folks have gravitated to Goldsmith as they were looking for a smart alternative to Erickson. The word in the community echos Assembly member Rick Zbur: “Anyone but Erickson”.
This City used to be an opportunity for the underdog to thrive. It has turned into a melting pot for opportunists who cannot see beyond themselves. Only they can thrive, everyone else who cannot help them — is useless. People had enough. This mentality is the reason why a Republican may win. Oh, the irony!