West Hollywood City Council member John M. Erickson is running as a Democrat for California State Senate District 24. The general election is Nov. 3, 2026.

Erickson is certified for the ballot, according to BallotReady. Brian Goldsmith, also a Democrat, is the other candidate in the race.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Current office: West Hollywood City Council member (2020–present), according to BallotReady
  • Education: Doctorate in American religious history, Claremont Graduate University (2019); master's degree in applied women's studies, Claremont Graduate University (2011); bachelor's degree in English/women's studies, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (2009); high school diploma, Ripon High School
  • Hometown: Grew up in Ripon, Wisconsin, according to his campaign website

Experience and public service

Erickson has held several positions in government and nonprofit organizations, according to his campaign website, the City of West Hollywood's council page and BallotReady:

  • Mayor, West Hollywood City Council (candidate's claim)
  • Chief of staff, Alliance for a Better Community (2024, candidate's claim)
  • Vice president of public affairs, communications and marketing, Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles (2018–2024)
  • Legislative representative, Los Angeles World Airports (2017–2018)
  • Appointee, California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (2017, candidate's claim)
  • Community events technician, city of West Hollywood (2011–2017)
  • City council intern, West Hollywood City Council (2010)
  • President, ACLU of Southern California (volunteer)
  • Vice president, California Contract Cities Association (volunteer)
  • National board member, National Organization for Women (volunteer)

Erickson said on his campaign website that he grew up volunteering at food banks with his grandmother and traveled to the Wisconsin state capitol advocating for veterans' and women's rights.

On the issues

The following positions are drawn from Erickson's responses on his campaign priorities page and through BallotReady. All statements reflect the candidate's own claims.

Housing: Erickson said he has a long history of implementing renter protections. He said eviction protections and keeping up with the cost of living are key to preventing homelessness. He said misuse of the Ellis Act and Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act must be addressed by the legislature. He said he would support cities that use statewide housing bonuses and incentivize approval for new housing projects, including community land trusts.

Healthcare: Erickson said he would work to remove barriers to primary care, mental health services, reproductive healthcare and preventative treatments including HIV/STI testing and PrEP/PEP. He said he supports a Medicare-for-all model and protecting Medi-Cal access.

Education: Erickson said he would lead efforts to counter federal education cuts with state dollars. He said school funding should not be partisan and the state budget should not be balanced on the backs of students or teachers. He said he would introduce incentives to recruit and retain teachers.

Public safety: Erickson said the conversation about public safety should focus on smart policies, not tough-on-crime or soft-on-crime labels. He said he would invest in gun control and crime prevention tools for first responders.

Environment and wildfire recovery: Erickson said he would confront climate change with action on clean energy, sustainable land use and wildfire recovery plans. He said he supports expanded mental health services for fire-affected residents and would work with the insurance commissioner to keep homeowners insurance available and affordable.

Endorsements

Erickson has received endorsements from several labor, environmental and advocacy organizations, according to his campaign endorsements page and BallotReady. They include the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor AFL-CIO, California Professional Firefighters, SEIU California, California Nurses Association, California Teachers' Association, UFCW Local 770, Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood Advocacy Project Los Angeles County Action Fund, Equality California, YIMBY Action and the California Legislative LGBTQ Caucus.

Candidate responses were collected through BallotReady and the candidate's campaign website. The Santa Monica Wave presents this profile to help voters understand the candidates on their ballot.