Three seats on the dais will be up for grabs in the Nov. 3 West Hollywood City Council election. (photo by Edwin Folven)

The filing period for the Nov. 3 West Hollywood City Council election opened on Monday, July 13, and a crowded field of candidates is already taking shape. Three seats, belonging to Councilwoman Chelsea Byers, Mayor John Heilman and Councilwoman Lauren Meister, will be up for election. Byers announced her reelection campaign in May, and Heilman and Meister are ineligible to run again due to term limits.

In addition to Byers, candidates who have filed to run as of press time on July 15 are Larry Block, Kyle Brazeal, Kody Christiansen, Jonathan Cottrell, John Duran, Chiedu Egbuniwe, Paola Ferrari, Helen Krieger, Stephen Post, Tatyana Tsikanovsky and Jonathan Wilson.

Byers said her campaign is focused on addressing housing affordability, economic uncertainty and improving residents’ quality of life.

“I’m running for re-election to West Hollywood City Council to create a more livable, sustainable and joyful city, a city that works for everyone and leaves future generations better off than before,” Byers said.

Larry Block, owner of Block Party WeHo, finished third in the 2024 City Council race when two seats were up for election. He said he is running again because he believes the city needs stronger leadership on public safety, business and fiscal issues.

“The reason I’m running again is not much different than the last time,” Block said. “The crime and public safety issues have gotten worse… I’m running to help usher in a new era of West Hollywood council members who put what’s best for the residents and business owners of West Hollywood before their own political ambitions.”

Kyle Brazeal is a West Hollywood resident with a background in private-sector finance and operations. He said he decided to run after participating in meetings about the Fountain Avenue bike lane project and believes City Hall needs to be more responsive and accountable to residents.

“I think there is a little bit of a lack of that on our current City Council, and so I’d like to bring a little more rigor to how we hold ourselves accountable to deliver on the promises we’re making,” Brazeal said.

Kody Christiansen is a member of the West Hollywood Business Task Force and the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who is pursuing a master of public administration at USC. He said his experience overcoming homelessness inspired him to run for City Council.

“I am running for West Hollywood City Council because this city gave me a home, a second chance and a community that helped shape the person I became,” Christiansen said. “After experiencing homelessness and rebuilding my life in sobriety … I learned that leadership begins with listening, service and the courage to speak up when people feel unheard.”

Former West Hollywood Mayor John Duran is seeking a return to the City Council after serving five terms from 2001 to 2020. Duran lost reelection in 2020 and led an unsuccessful comeback bid in 2022. During his final term, he stepped down as mayor after he was accused of sexual harassment and inappropriate conduct. Duran denied the allegations.

Duran said he decided to run again because he believes the city has lost its way and needs experienced leadership. He said many different people in the city – including outgoing council members Heilman and Meister, chamber of commerce members and sheriff’s department staff – encouraged him to run again.

“I haven’t been on the council for six years, but the city is on the wrong track at the moment,” Duran said, citing public safety, business vacancies and proposed changes to Fountain Avenue. “We created something unique … and it seems that the current council majority is willing to completely eliminate what’s made us unique now for four decades.”

Jonathan Cottrell is a software executive, owner of GYM Bar WeHo, a member of the city’s Public Facilities, Recreation & Infrastructure Commission and serves on the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce board. He said his experience in technology, business and local government has prepared him to solve city problems.

“As a resident, a small business owner and a city commissioner, I both see and experience our city’s challenges every day, and I’m ready to put forward creative and practical solutions to help us work through the issues and continuously improve,” Cottrell said.

Helen Krieger serves on the city’s Transportation and Mobility Commission and previously led a neighborhood association in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. She said improving street safety and addressing the city’s housing shortage are among her top priorities.

“We have a lot of poorly designed streets … car collisions between other cars, bikes and pedestrians keep going up … we just aren’t taking enough action to make those streets safer,” Krieger said.

Stephen Post serves on the city’s Public Safety Commission and serves as the city’s Business Improvement District Manager. He said his campaign is focused on improving public safety, affordability, homelessness services and resident involvement in city government.

“I am running because I believe West Hollywood can’t wait to build the safer, more affordable and more responsive city that all of our residents really need right now.”

West Hollywood resident Tanya Tsikanovsky said she is running to improve public safety, increase government transparency and make City Hall more responsive to residents and local businesses.

“Residents should feel safe walking home at night, businesses should feel supported and our city should be proactive about addressing crime instead of reacting to it,” Tsikanovsky said. “I also want to see City Hall become more transparent and accountable.”

Candidates Chiedu Egbuniwe, Paola Ferrari and Jonathan Wilson could not be reached for comment.

Resident Joshua Baum and Planning Commissioner Mark Edwards had previously announced an intention to run but have since suspended their campaigns.

The filing period closes Aug. 7.

In addition to the three City Council seats on the Nov. 3 ballot, Councilman John Erickson is running for the 24th District seat in the California State Senate. If Erickson is elected, the City Council would decide whether to fill the resulting vacancy by appointment or call a special election, according to West Hollywood Public Information Officer Sheri Lunn. Erickson’s current term on the City Council ends on Dec. 31, 2028.

Hannah Harn contributed to this story.