Abbe Land is no stranger to West Hollywood’s corridors of power.
First elected in 1986, she spent a total of 23 years on the City Council and served five terms as mayor[1].
For much of that time, she was notably the only woman on a council otherwise dominated by gay men[2].
Land built a reputation as a progressive trailblazer – championing tenants’ rights, declaring West Hollywood the nation’s first “pro-choice city” in 1993, and creating the city’s Women’s Advisory Board[3].
But alongside the accolades came growing criticism of her entrenched influence. After three decades in office, Land became, as the LA Times put it, a “poster child” for what some felt ailed the city – long-time incumbents too comfortable in power and *“overly comfortable” with developers[4].
Voters eventually passed term limits in 2013 to curb the seemingly perpetual reign of leaders like Land (who opposed the measure)[5].
Even when Land stepped off the council (briefly in the late 1990s and then for good in 2015), her presence loomed large.
During her hiatuses she landed well-paid posts at nonprofits, and critics alleged she leveraged her City Hall connections for generous city funding until new rules were adopted to rein in such insider “behest” donations[6].
In short, Abbe Land’s network and influence have long permeated West Hollywood’s political fabric – and nowhere is that more evident than in the crop of protégés and allies she’s ushered into power behind her.
Mentoring a New Political Generation – or Cultivating a Clique?
From her final years on the council through the present, Land has cultivated a tight-knit group of younger officials who now wield significant power in West Hollywood.
These include Lindsey Horvath, John Erickson, and Chelsea Byers – with newer figures like Andrew Solomon emerging from their ranks.
By many accounts, this is no coincidence. Observers describe Land as the de facto architect of a political “clique” – the behind-the-scenes “queen bee” guiding and positioning her chosen successors into key roles[7].
The result? A self-reinforcing circle of influence that has extended Land’s reach well beyond her own tenure. As one local commentator wryly noted, “Abbe Land was the ‘queen bee’ of Lindsey Horvath and John Erickson and Chelsea Byers,” leading a clique that tightly controls policies, agendas, and even commission appointments in the city[8].
In other words, Land didn’t just leave a legacy – she left an entire political family in charge. Below, we look at how each of these figures rose under Land’s wing, and why critics say the “Land family” is at the root of West Hollywood’s current troubles.**
Members of West Hollywood’s political community – including current and former officials – share a stage at a local panel discussion. Abbe Land often appears alongside the young leaders she’s mentored, reinforcing her role as the city’s political matriarch[9][10].
Lindsey Horvath: From Land’s Protégé to Power Player
Lindsey Horvath’s political career has Abbe Land’s fingerprints all over it. Horvath was a relative newcomer to West Hollywood in the mid-2000s, but Land quickly took her under her wing.
In fact, Horvath recalls that Land personally encouraged her to get into local politics in the first place[11]. The mentorship paid off in 2009 when a City Council seat suddenly opened after the death of Councilmember Sal Guarriello.
Rather than hold a special election, the council chose to appoint a replacement – and Land pushed hard for the appointment of the then-26-year-old Horvath.
Land “wanted to place another woman on the dais” and teamed up with her ally John Heilman to lobby for Horvath’s selection[12].
Their preferred protégé ultimately prevailed: the council’s initial vote deadlocked until another member switched sides, handing Horvath the appointment to City Council in May 2009[12].
Thus, Horvath got her first taste of power not by election, but through Land’s patronage.
Horvath’s initial stint was short-lived (voters ousted her in the 2011 election), but Land wasn’t done engineering Horvath’s rise.
In 2015, Land decided not to run for re-election to the council – yet she made sure her protégé was well-positioned to fill the void.
Land threw her influence behind Horvath’s 2015 comeback campaign, which saw Horvath win a council seat outright[13]. From that point on, Lindsey Horvath became one of West Hollywood’s most prominent figures – and a direct heir to Abbe Land’s agenda and connections.
Land’s behind-the-scenes help didn’t stop at City Hall. As Horvath’s ambitions grew, Land actively smoothed Horvath’s path to higher office.
In 2022, when Horvath sought an open seat on the powerful Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Land leveraged her own relationships to boost Horvath.
Notably, Land “promoted and pushed” Horvath to outgoing Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, securing Kuehl’s influential endorsement for Horvath’s campaign[14].
The strategy worked: Horvath won, becoming at 40 years old the youngest person ever elected to the County Board.
And at Horvath’s swearing-in ceremony, there was Abbe Land once again – personally administering the oath of office to her protégé in a symbolic passing of the torch[15]. The moment underscored their close bond: mentor and protégé, together at the pinnacle of regional government[15].
For critics of West Hollywood’s insider politics, Horvath’s ascent is the quintessential example of Land’s far-reaching influence.
Horvath now holds one of the most powerful seats in California, overseeing policies (and funding) that directly impact West Hollywood.
“For years to come Lindsey Horvath will have an oversized influence over West Hollywood,” one observer noted – a prospect that some in the community view with fear and skepticism[16].
Horvath has occasionally shown that loyalty to her patron network can trump local interests: for example, as a new County Supervisor she controversially joined her ally Erickson (now on the City Council) in voting against West Hollywood’s own mayor for a regional board appointment, a move that baffled residents who expected her to champion her home city[17].
To Horvath’s critics, such actions suggest that Land’s protégés prioritize clique loyalty over community representation.
Nevertheless, Horvath’s star continues to rise – a living legacy of Abbe Land’s ability to shape West Hollywood’s leadership in her image.
John Erickson: Groomed by Land from City Hall Intern to Councilmember
If Horvath is Land’s highest-profile protégé, John M. Erickson is perhaps her most directly tutored disciple.
Erickson’s journey in West Hollywood began in 2010, when he was selected as a mere intern for the City Council – a position that “set him on a path” in public service[18].
That path quickly led to Abbe Land’s office. Impressed with the young activist, Land hired Erickson as her Council Deputy (aide) during her final term as councilmember[18].
In this role, Erickson worked at Land’s side, learning the ropes of City Hall and helping advance Land’s policy initiatives on LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, and the environment[18].
See WehoTimes: https://wehotimes.com/west-hollywood-poet-laureate-jen-cheng-honored-with-national-laureate-fellowship
Land was effectively John Erickson’s political mentor, and when West Hollywood later eliminated the council deputy system, Land made sure to slide Erickson into a permanent staff position at City Hall[7].
By her patronage, Erickson rose from unpaid intern to a paid city official – a formative grooming that set the stage for his own entry into politics.
After Land left the council, she continued to support Erickson’s ambitions. She endorsed Erickson’s campaign for City Council in 2020, signaling to the city’s political establishment that he was her chosen successor[8].
Riding on a wave of progressive rhetoric and the network he’d built (with Land’s introductions), Erickson won election to the Council in 2020[19].
In doing so, he filled the seat of one of the outgoing old-guard members – effectively keeping a Land-aligned voice on the dais as the city’s old leadership turned over.
As a councilmember, Erickson has remained tightly aligned with Horvath and Land’s circle. Detractors often lump him into the same “clique” of insiders steering city policy to suit their own careers.
A striking example came when West Hollywood needed to choose a representative for a regional planning board: Erickson joined Horvath (then still on Council) in an unusual vote against Councilmember Lauren Meister, preventing Meister from securing the appointment[17].
This decision was widely viewed as punishing Meister (an independent voice) in favor of the Land/Horvath bloc’s interests.
Even a close friend of Horvath’s admitted he was “confused” that Horvath and Erickson would vote against their own city’s mayor on a regional issue – concluding that “the clique was voting for their own self-interests”[17].
Such incidents fuel the perception that Erickson’s loyalties lie primarily with Land’s inner circle and its power dynamics, rather than with broad constituent concerns.
Under Abbe Land’s tutelage, John Erickson went from a grad student with a gender studies degree to a City Council member (and even a brief stint as Mayor Pro Tem) in barely a decade[19][20].
It’s an impressive rise – but one that critics say was less about merit and more about being tapped by the “godmother” to carry on her legacy.
Erickson himself would likely credit Land for much of his success; in return, he consistently champions many of the same issues and alliances Land held dear.
For better or worse, Erickson exemplifies how Abbe Land cultivated loyal talent to inherit West Hollywood’s reins.
Chelsea Byers: A Newcomer Molded as a “Mini Horvath”
Perhaps the most eye-opening case of Land’s influence is Chelsea Lee Byers, who in 2022 became one of West Hollywood’s newest (and youngest) councilmembers.
Byers moved to West Hollywood only in recent years and had never even voted in a West Hollywood election prior to 2020, yet she rose with astonishing speed[21].
How does someone with so little local track record end up in city leadership? The answer, many contend, lies with Abbe Land’s protégés greasing the wheels.
Byers first connected with City Hall through women’s leadership events and advocacy programs – the kind of initiatives Abbe Land championed.
In fact, Byers’ introduction to West Hollywood came via the city’s Women’s Leadership Conference, which Land had helped create years earlier[22].
That connection led to Byers organizing city-sponsored workshops (like a Cannabis Education Forum) and networking with the local women’s rights community[22].
It wasn’t long before Land’s close allies took notice of Byers. Councilmember John Erickson appointed Byers to the city’s Human Services Commission, giving her an official (albeit unelected) role at City Hall[23]. This timely appointment in 2021 raised her local profile and plugged her into the City Hall circuit – just in time for the 2022 council election.
Behind the scenes, Byers also benefited from professional opportunities seemingly brokered by Land’s network.
Notably, she somehow landed a job as Director of Programs and Partnerships at Women’s Voices Now, a nonprofit focused on women’s issues[24].
Observers have pointed out that Byers’ hiring for this role coincided with her political grooming – and many suspect Abbe Land’s influence at work. (Land is deeply connected in women’s rights circles; whether directly or through recommendation, it’s widely believed that Byers’ nonprofit job was a product of Land greasing the skids to bolster Byers’ credentials[23].)
The position gave Byers both a steady paycheck in advocacy and a talking point as a community “Director” – useful for a political résumé.
With a commission title next to her name and endorsements flowing from the Land/Horvath/Erickson camp, Chelsea Byers ran for City Council in 2022.
She was buoyed by what some call the “nexus of data” – the coordinated support of Land’s clique funneling endorsements, money, and voter outreach on her behalf[21].
It worked by a hair: Byers secured the third and final council seat by just a handful of votes (3,960 votes, literally a dozen more than Horvath received in her last council race)[21]. Essentially, Byers was vaulted into office on the shoulders of Land’s proteges.
Even former Councilmember John Duran – hardly an ally of Land – grudgingly remarked that Byers seemed like a “mini-me version of Horvath,” a younger clone following in the footsteps of Horvath (and by extension, Land)[23].
The label “Mini Horvath” stuck in the press, underlining the perception that Byers was less an independent community choice and more a hand-picked next-generation proxy for Land’s crew.
Since taking office, Councilmember Byers has moved in step with the allies who helped create her. She quickly was elevated to the largely ceremonial title of Vice Mayor and, as of 2024-25, serves as West Hollywood’s Mayor (the council rotates the mayorship annually).
More substantively, Byers has begun returning the favor of patronage – appointing her own friends/allies to city commissions just as she was once appointed.
Most notably, she chose Andrew Solomon as her appointee to the influential Planning Commission in 2024[25][26]. That choice, and who Solomon is, speaks volumes (more on him below).
In short, Chelsea Byers’ rapid rise exemplifies the “Land method” of political succession: identify young activists who share your ideology (or owe you loyalty), install them in advisory roles or nonprofit jobs, coach them on campaigning, and propel them into office with a ready-made support machine.
Byers went from an unknown to Mayor in a few short years – thanks largely to mentorship and backing tracing straight back to Abbe Land’s influence.
Critics argue that now West Hollywood is governed not by organic community leaders, but by Land’s ideological descendants, some of whom barely paid dues in the city before taking power.
Andrew Solomon: Another Spin-Off from the Land-Horvath Orbit
If Abbe Land is the godmother, Andrew Solomon might be considered a “grandchild” in this political family tree. Solomon is not (yet) an elected official, but he represents the next link in the chain of insiders.
Brought into City Hall circles by John Erickson and Chelsea Byers, Solomon’s trajectory illustrates how the clique perpetuates itself – and why some residents are alarmed by the people now getting power.
A resident of West Hollywood since 2014, Andrew Solomon first entered public service when Councilmember Erickson appointed him to the Public Facilities Commission in 2021[25][26].
At the time, Erickson was newly elected and, notably, Abbe Land’s protégé – so bringing Solomon on board was effectively Land’s political grandchildren starting to populate commissions. Solomon served there and built relationships.
Then in mid-2024, Chelsea Byers (by then the Mayor) elevated Solomon to the city’s Planning Commission, one of West Hollywood’s most powerful bodies for land-use decisions[25].
In fact, Solomon took that Planning Commission seat as Byers’ direct appointee, “ushered in” by her after an earlier commission stint courtesy of Erickson[25].
In a familiar pattern, even Solomon’s spouse has been given a City Hall role – his wife Kali Rogers was appointed to a city commission by John Erickson, making the couple a miniature version of the Land clique’s networking at work[27].
Why does any of this matter? Because Andrew Solomon has already courted controversy that some see as emblematic of the new guard’s priorities.
Upon joining the Planning Commission, Solomon openly stated his belief that “rent control doesn’t work.”[28]. In West Hollywood, a city literally founded on rent control and tenant protections, hearing a top official question rent stabilization is jaw-dropping.
Long-time residents took it as a red flag – an indication that the Land/Horvath/Byers bloc is possibly cozying up to pro-development or landlord interests at the expense of renters, despite their progressive façades.
Solomon’s remark was not an isolated slip, either; it aligns with a pattern of appointments that seem to tilt the city’s commissions away from its historically tenant-friendly stance.
Observers quickly asked: Did Mayor Byers know Solomon held that view when she appointed him? Did Erickson know when he first picked Solomon in 2021? If not, it’s incompetence; if yes, it signals an agenda[28].
Either possibility is troubling. The fact that two of Land’s star pupils (Erickson and Byers) saw fit to empower Solomon suggests that his outlook didn’t bother them – or perhaps even resonated with them.
“If they don’t share the view, why pick him? If they do, say it plainly,” one watchdog quipped, noting the dissonance of self-proclaimed progressives elevating someone who dismisses a core progressive policy[29].
From a broader perspective, Andrew Solomon’s rise via Erickson and Byers underscores how Abbe Land’s legacy continues to spin off new actors on the West Hollywood stage.
He is effectively two degrees removed from Land’s mentorship – yet the only reason he’s in power is because Land’s proteges put him there. To critics who complain that West Hollywood’s leadership has become incestuous and unaccountable, Solomon is the latest exhibit A.
This is the kind of appointment, they argue, that happens when a small group (the Land “family”) controls the pipeline of who gets opportunities in city government. It ensures continuity – but also groupthink and a lack of independent voices.
As one commentator lamented, the clique’s power means “a rotation in government” hasn’t really changed anything substantive; instead, “those in public service [installed by Land’s circle] will serve their own interests”[30].
Solomon, critics fear, may be more responsive to the councilmembers who appointed him (and the interests they align with) than to the thousands of regular renters his decisions could affect.
The “Godmother” and Her Lasting Shadow
Abbe Land once stood out as a pioneering voice in West Hollywood. Now, a decade after her final term, she stands – at least in the eyes of her detractors – as the matriarch of an entrenched political dynasty.
The current City Council majority and many of its commission appointees can trace their political lineage directly back to Land’s influence.
Land’s defenders might argue this is simply good mentorship: she helped elevate capable young leaders who share her values.
But a growing chorus of residents and former officials charge that it’s old-school machine politics in progressive clothing – a means for Land to wield power long after leaving office, through loyal surrogates who owe their careers to her.
It’s telling that when Lindsey Horvath was sworn in as County Supervisor, the person administering her oath was Abbe Land[15]. The symbolism was hard to miss: Abbe Land’s “children” now run the show.
In West Hollywood’s political circles, there’s a dark joke that if you don’t like the direction of City Hall these days, “blame Abbe”.
It’s an exaggeration, of course – but not by much. Many of the controversial decisions, appointments, and alliances troubling West Hollywood today link back to people Abbe Land fostered. Whether it’s development deals, commission shake-ups, or internal power-plays, the names may have changed from a decade ago, but the team remains oddly familiar.
Sarcasm aside, it’s almost as if Abbe Land set out to be the city’s “godmother of all things bad” – planting the seeds for any number of headaches sprouting now.
As one frustrated resident remarked, “my naive dream of a local government where residents’ voices prevail has been lost… my heart told me that too much power in one clique is unhealthy for West Hollywood’s future”[31].
That clique, in his view, wears Abbe Land’s crown.
Ultimately, Abbe Land’s legacy in West Hollywood is a study in power – how it is amassed, shared, and prolonged. She undoubtedly did much good for the city, but she also cultivated a closed circle of influence that critics say stifles dissent and innovation.
The new faces at City Hall owe a debt to Land, and they often act like it.
In a sarcastically serious sense, one might thank Abbe Land for “all the wonderful things” West Hollywood’s current leadership is doing – because without her, many of them wouldn’t be there to do it. And if those things turn out to be not so wonderful?
Well, as the godmother of West Hollywood’s present politics, Abbe Land may have to answer for that too, at least in the court of public opinion.
The plot she began decades ago is still unfolding, and many in the community are watching warily, wondering if West Hollywood’s future is truly in new hands or just Old Abbe’s wine in new bottles.
Sources:
- Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times – “Abbe Land… steps aside,” Mar. 15, 2015[5][11].
- Larry Block, WeHo Online Op-Ed – “Beyond the Invisible Bubble,” Dec. 2022[12][7].
- West Hollywood City Council Official Bio – John M. Erickson[18].
- Jonathan Van Dyke, Beverly Press – “New members sworn into WeHo council,” Mar. 19, 2015[32].
- WeHo Times – “Chelsea Byers… Get Sworn-In,” Dec. 20, 2022[24].
- Occupied WeHo – “The Commissioner Who Says Rent Control ‘Doesn’t Work’,” Aug. 11, 2025[28][25].
- Rob Salerno, Los Angeles Blade – “Community Series panel,” Apr. 24, 2025[9][10].
[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [11] Abbe Land, a familiar face on West Hollywood City Council, steps aside – Los Angeles Times
https://www.latimes.com/local/westside/la-me-abbe-land-20150316-story.html
[6] [7] [8] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [21] [23] [30] [31] OpEd: Beyond the Invisible Bubble – WEHOonline.com
https://wehoonline.com/oped-beyond-the-invisible-bubble/
[9] [10] Los Angeles Blade’s Community Series kicks off with panel
https://www.losangelesblade.com/2025/04/24/los-angeles-blades-community-series-kicks-off-with-panel/
[18] [19] Councilmember John M. Erickson | City of West Hollywood
https://www.weho.org/city-government/city-council/councilmembers/john-m-erickson
[20] [22] [24] Chelsea Byers, John Heilman, and Lauren Meister Get Sworn-In to West Hollywood City Council – WEHO TIMES West Hollywood News, Nightlife and Events
[25] [26] [27] [28] [29] The Commissioner Who Says Rent Control “Doesn’t Work” – Occupied West Hollywood
[32] New members sworn into WeHo council – Beverly Press & Park Labrea NewsBeverly Press & Park Labrea News
https://beverlypress.com/2015/03/new-members-sworn-into-weho-council/
What we are seeing in West Hollywood is the result of a decade-long stranglehold on debate that drowns out critical thinking and diversity of thought. It’s the most anti-progressive system of municipal governance. Government at all levels should be about the people first, and corporate and billionaire bidders somewhere down the lineup. West Hollywood has gotten it backwards with the stealth power plays at the hands of Land and her disciples. It borders on the same tyrannical and autocratic styles found in the current White House that are roundly and deservedly criticized in truly progressive (i.e., not hypocritical) salons.