Mayor Lester Friedman leaves office on April 6, marking the end of a term dominated by a global health crisis, civil unrest, a general election, and the steady nationalization of local politics. Friedman entered office just as the country belatedly recognized the threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving local governments scrambling to respond in the absence of a coordinated federal strategy. He steps down from his first mayoral stint as the city appears on the cusp of a tentative recovery, with Beverly Hills boasting one of the highest vaccination rates in the county at 45.5 percent.
Mayor Friedman came to the City Council in 2017, having previously served on the Traffic and Parking Commission from 2011 to 2017. A lawyer by trade, he will remain on the City Council for another year before coming up for reelection. He has not announced whether he intends to run for a second term.
