Jonathan Wilson is moving toward a run for West Hollywood City Council in 2026.
Wilson, the founder of West Hollywood-based management consulting firm Dubb Value Creation and a current member of the City’s Social Justice Advisory Board, registered a campaign committee with the state — Wilson for WeHo City Council 2026, FPPC #1487906 — and scheduled a pre-launch fundraiser for Saturday at Gym Bar, 8919 Santa Monica Blvd., noon to 2 p.m.
The invitation listed three community co-hosts: Cleo Burtley, managing partner of First Light Advisory; Mito Aviles, arts and cultural affairs commissioner emeritus; and Tod Hallman, a former chair and current member of the Public Safety Commission.
Wilson is a native Angeleno. He holds a bachelor of science in chemical engineering from UC San Diego and an MBA in general management and international strategy from UCLA Anderson School of Management. His career before founding Dubb Value Creation ran nearly two decades through major consulting and financial firms, including Accenture, Bank of America, Deloitte, and Grant Thornton. He started Dubb Value Creation in 2017.
He was appointed the inaugural chair of West Hollywood’s Social Justice Task Force in August 2021 and has served on the Social Justice Advisory Board since 2023. His current term runs through February 2027. He also serves on the board of the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and is president emeritus of the UCLA Anderson Black Alumni Association.
Wilson has spoken publicly about race and representation in the City. “We still don’t have a Black city council member,” he told the Beverly Press in 2023, “and I’m currently the only Black for profit CEO in the city.”
He has not yet pulled nomination papers. Those become available June 29, 2026. The filing deadline is August 7, 2026.
The 2026 West Hollywood City Council Race: What to Know
Three seats are on the ballot in November. Possibly four. It’s the most wide-open West Hollywood election in decades, and it’s happening because term limits are finally biting.
Why so many seats are open
Voters passed Measure C back in 2013. West Hollywood had never had term limits before that. Lauren Meister helped run the campaign to get them on the ballot and now she’s one of the people being termed out.
Mayor John Heilman is the other. He’s been on the Council most of the time since the City incorporated in 1984. Nine times mayor. He cannot run again. Both he and Meister are out when their terms end this year.
That leaves Chelsea Byers as the only sitting council member who can run for re-election. She filed papers back in February 2025.
Then there’s John Erickson. He’s running for State Senate — the 24th District seat Ben Allen is vacating. If Erickson makes it through the June primary and wins in November, he’d have to give up his council seat. That opens a potential fourth vacancy. The remaining four council members would either appoint someone or call a special election. It’s happened before. Jeffrey Prang won the county assessor’s race in 2015 and left mid-term. John Heilman won that special election to fill his seat.
Who’s in so far
Chelsea Byers — The only incumbent on the ballot. Filed for re-election in February 2025.
Kody Christiansen — Has registered a campaign committee with the City.
Mark R. Edwards — Worked as deputy director of legislative affairs under Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
Paola Ferrari — Has registered a campaign committee with the City.
Helen Kreiger — Sits on the City’s Transportation and Mobility Commission.
Stephen Post — Public Safety Commissioner and communications manager for the Last Prisoner Project, a cannabis policy reform nonprofit.
Tatyana Tsikanovsky — Has registered a campaign committee with the City.
Jonathan Wilson — Founder of Dubb Value Creation, former chair and current member of the Social Justice Advisory Board.
Joshua Baum had filed a candidate intention statement but has since withdrawn from the race.
WEHOonline will keep this list updated as more candidates come forward.
Editor’s Note: Larry Block — owner of Block Party WeHo and co-owner of WEHOonline — has signaled he may run again. He ran in 2024 and finished third behind Erickson and Danny Hang. Block has no editorial role at WEHOonline while he’s either a potential or declared candidate.
What exactly is social justice? Justice is defined as just behavior or treatment. Is social justice when you do that over a beer? I’ve never really understood the notion. You have justice or you do not. If you have to create a committee for it, you likely don’t have it and you should probably also replace your leaders because if you need a committee, leadership has already failed. All committees do is let leaders off the hook for not fixing it. Committees are optics to hide failure and neglect. So with the election in mind, don’t waste your vote on… Read more »
By definition social justice is the fair and equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and rights, ensuring all individuals—regardless of background—can meet their basic needs and live with dignity. It focuses on addressing systemic inequalities, discrimination, and historical injustices, aiming for equal participation, access, and rights for everyone in society.
If you look at the current majority of the City Council, they are working to silence the community as shown through their actions, plus they are in the pockets of the developers. They represent the complete opposite of soclal justice, imo.
You lost me at Social Justice.
No thanks. More of the same.
Being a member of the City’s Social Justice Advisory Board should disqualify anyone from having any job or public position anywhere.
I met Jonathan at this event and he was immediately rude. No thank you
Zero support for Mark Edwards who showed his true alliances at the Planning meeting when he said “Developers are not evil, because we all live in buildings that were created by developers. For us to have this narrative that developers are out to scam the system, that is not true.”
Edwards is another candidate bribed by developers who will ask him to pay them back by screwing residents. No thank you
Agreed. Mark Edwards is a reason politicians can’t be trusted. At every turn he dismisses public opinion and input so his allegiance to developers and his friends is passed.
His comment regarding developers was at best naive but more likely a line to pander to contributors. While West Hollywood has benefited from many developments, having community input rather than excluding the public generally creates a better project. But developers do not put the well-being of the residents first as obviously their own bottom line comes first. Edward’s attitude reflects the culture of the City of Los Angeles were at least a couple of recent City Council members are now in jail due to their “relationship” with developers.
Amen to all the above. Mark Edwards’ behavior toward Lynn Hoopingarner at the Planning meeting was disrespectful. He does not have the people skills to serve anywhere.