Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.[1]
The previous mayor, Charles E. Sebastian, resigned on September 2, 1916, due to newspapers publishing letters between him and Lillian Pratt showing infidelity.[2] After three days, the Los Angeles City Council named Frederic T. Woodman as the new mayor, with the term going well for Woodman.[3] In the election, Woodman faced former Mayor Meredith P. Snyder, who previously led the city from 1900 to 1904. Sebastian also ran in the election to try and get his old job back, as well as Henry H. Roser (no relation to previous Mayor Henry H. Rose). In the election, Woodman won outright, preventing the need for a runoff.[4]
