North Westwood Neighborhood Council elections to be held May 4
The intersection of Weyburn Avenue and Broxton Avenue is pictured. The North Westwood Neighborhood Council’s election will be held May 4. (Ethan Manafi/Daily Bruin staff)
By Matthew Royer
April 28, 2023 2:07 p.m.
Students and community members will vote on 19 candidates to fill 18 council positions in the upcoming North Westwood Neighborhood Council elections on May 4.
Voting will be held from noon to 6 p.m. in Ackerman Union’s Bruin Viewpoint Room. Any person above the age of 16 can vote if they live, work, worship, study, own property or own a business in North Westwood. Voting is open to all, regardless of immigration and housing status.
The Candidates
In order to declare candidacy, individuals must be 18 years old, have successfully been approved by the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment and meet the guidelines set for their specific seat.
While in the past Westwood Forward – the council’s founding slate – has endorsed a slate of candidates, it did not announce any endorsements this year.
Ten incumbent council members are running for reelection, while six undergraduate students are candidates as well.
One seat – worker stakeholder – is contested, while every other seat remains unchallenged. The graduate student member seat is the only seat without a candidate.
[Related: UCLA employees Raag Agrawal, Jacob Wasserman to appear on NWWNC ballot]
Terms are set for two years if elected to the council.
Homeowner stakeholder – one seat
- Philip Gabriel (independent)
Graduate student member – one seat
- No candidates
University staff or administrative member – one seat
- W. “Wren” Reynolds (incumbent; independent)
Faculty member – one seat
- Catherine Sarkisian (incumbent; independent)
Worker stakeholder – one seat
- Raag Agrawal (independent)
- Jacob Wasserman (independent)
Undergraduate student member – two seats
- Elizabeth Brady (independent)
- Jacob Chernow (independent)
Organizational stakeholder – two seats
- Eric Coestad (incumbent secretary; independent)
- Marcello Robinson (independent)
At-large stakeholder – three seats
- Evan M. Curran (independent)
- Cristopher Espino (independent)
- John Sischo (Independent, Incumbent)
Renter stakeholder – two seats
- Erin Coutts (incumbent; independent)
- Tommy Contreras (Independent)
General residential stakeholder – two seats
- Andrew David Lewis (incumbent vice president; independent)
- Nuha Khalfay (incumbent; independent)
Business stakeholder – three seats
- Maikel Kohanhediud (incumbent; independent)
- Kevin A. Crummy (incumbent; independent)
- Josh Trifunovic (incumbent president; independent)
