Cultural Heritage Commissioner Craig Corman and BHUSD School Board Member Mary Wells lead the race to become Beverly Hills’ newest City Councilmembers, according to results from the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk at press time.
Corman held 23.9% of the vote and Wells held 19.4%, as of the latest vote update on March 7.
They were followed by former BHUSD Board President Alissa Roston with 15.2%, Planning Commissioner Myra Demeter with 12.2% and security professional Stuart Russell with 11.6%. The remaining five candidates each held single-digit vote totals.
Wells said she was “honored and encouraged” by the initial vote in a March 6 statement provided to the Courier. She acknowledged that there were still ballots to be counted, but expressed her hope that the standings will not change.
Corman told the Courier he felt “happy and surprised” when he jumped to the front of the race on election night, noting that while results aren’t final the statistics indicate he will clinch a seat.
The Registrar-Recorder will provide periodic vote updates over the next several days with the final tally scheduled for March 26 and the certification of results tentatively scheduled for March 29.
The city of Beverly Hills will swear in its new councilmembers at a special ceremony at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts on April 2.
This election cycle saw an especially crowded field of candidates vying to fill the two open council seats of Mayor Dr. Julian Gold and Councilmember Lili Bosse.
The addition of Corman and Wells will bring new experiences and viewpoints to the five-member governing body.
Corman is an attorney by trade and served three terms on the Planning Commission before assuming his current position on the Cultural Heritage Commission. He is also a longtime Rotary Club member and a former Beverly Hills Little League coach.
When asked to describe the key skills he brings to the council, he said, “I think it’s a combination of my experience in planning, my experience in helping draft parts of our development code and also my litigation background.”
Corman campaigned on a platform of elevating the city’s top-notch public safety, sensibly managing Sacramento’s mandates for housing growth, strengthening infrastructure and environmental sustainability, improving government efficiency and supporting local schools.
Corman has deep roots in the community as the son of two Beverly Hills High School alumni and a member of the BHHS Class of 1977. He went on to raise his two children in the city alongside his wife Karen.
As a future councilmember he is most excited for “the opportunity to do good things for our city and our community.”
“I also recognize this is not a win for me, I mean, I’ve been fielding texts and emails, and phone calls all day from supporters and I’m very grateful for their support,” he continued. “I fully recognize that without the support of other people, I wouldn’t be in this position.”
Wells is a current BHUSD board member, former board president and a proud mother of three. She has also participated in the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, Team Beverly Hills, Just in Case Beverly Hills, Visionary Women, Beverly Hills Fire Department C.E.R.T. Program and Next BH Committee.
Her work experience includes brand management for the Walt Disney Company, construction management at Beezley Management, and municipal bond trading with Shearson Lehman and Hutton.
Public safety is her number one priority. In addition, her platform focused on expanding resident services, ensuring fiscal sustainability, responding to community housing needs and making it easier to do business in Beverly Hills.
“I want to sincerely thank all the residents and my supporters for trusting and believing in me. My team ran a clean campaign focused on positive solutions,” she said following Tuesday’s results. “I will look forward to working with all City Councilmembers to address our many challenges and secure the future of our beloved city.”
