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Culver City City Council

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City of Culver City

Culver City City Council

This person holds one of Culver City's five at-large City Council seats. They vote on the budget, land-use and zoning decisions, and city ordinances. The term is four years. The council doesn't elect its mayor directly -- members choose one of their own to serve as mayor and vice mayor each year, presiding over meetings but casting only one vote like every other member. Day-to-day operations run through a city manager the council appoints.

Two of Culver City's five at-large council seats are on the November 3 ballot. Incumbent Mayor Freddy Puza was elected in 2022 and seeks a second term. Councilmember Dan O'Brien chose not to run again, so his seat is open. Five candidates are running for the two seats. They are Puza, former Mayor Thomas Aujero Small, and small business owner Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin. The others are psychologist Franklin Carvajal and retired law enforcement officer Kimberley "Kim" Griffin.

Whoever wins joins a five-member council. The council sets the budget, land-use and zoning decisions, and city ordinances. Culver City has roughly 40,000 residents and sits between LA's Westside and the South Bay. It is home to Sony Pictures Studios and Amazon Studios. The term is 4 years, expiring December 2030. The council doesn't elect its mayor directly. Each year, members choose one of their own as mayor and one as vice mayor. The roles rotate. The mayor presides over meetings but casts only one vote, like every other member. Day-to-day operations run through a city manager the council appoints.

Because two seats are open, voters can back one candidate or two. The top two vote-getters win outright, with no runoff. The clearest divide in the race is continuity versus a reset. Puza and Small are cross-endorsing each other and defending the current council's direction. That includes its financing of the Jubilo Village affordable-housing project. Wisnosky Stehlin and Griffin are campaigning on financial oversight and doubt about that same spending. Carvajal is the field's outsider, not aligned with either bloc.

Freddy Puza

Freddy Puza is Culver City's current Mayor. He is a first term councilmember, elected in 2022. He is the city's first openly LGBTQ+ mayor. He runs on housing affordability and the Better Overland street safety project. He also backs the city's Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Mobile Crisis Team. He led the council to its first balanced budget in three years. At an August forum he defended the city's reserve loans to Jubilo Village.

Thomas Aujero Small

Thomas Aujero Small is a former Culver City Mayor and councilmember. He served from 2016 to 2020. He now works as an architectural and urban planning consultant. He runs on his record of renter protections and downtown revitalization. He also cites the Ballona Creek Bikeway extension. He also points to six years of regional planning work since leaving office. His campaign launched with the endorsement of Mayor Puza and Vice Mayor Fish. They are the council's current leadership.

Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin

Jeannine Wisnosky Stehlin is a small business owner and nonprofit executive director. She served as a Culver City Cultural Affairs Commissioner from 2016 to 2024. She runs on parks and neighborhood quality of life. She also runs on affordability, homelessness, and street and pedestrian safety. She calls for fiscally responsible leadership that listens to residents. This is her second run for a council seat. At the August forum she challenged the council's use of reserves to fund Jubilo Village.

Franklin Carvajal

Franklin Carvajal is a clinical psychologist and small business owner. They immigrated alone from Caracas, Venezuela at age 16 and later earned two PhDs. They run on public safety, clean streets, and parks. They also run on thoughtful development and government transparency. They want a city that is "safe, clean, quiet, beautiful, and accountable." They are the field's lowest profile candidate. They did not appear at the August 17 candidate forum Culver City Democrats United hosted.

Kimberley "Kim" Griffin

Kimberley "Kim" Griffin is a Culver City resident. She has more than two decades in local law enforcement. She runs as a community volunteer and public safety professional. She campaigns on connecting unhoused residents with services. She also backs affordable housing, small business support, and infrastructure investment. She also calls for stopping wasteful spending and making City Hall more transparent. At the August forum she challenged the Jubilo Village financing decision. She argued it should have gone to voters.

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A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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