Rebecca Pynoos Runs for Beverly Hills City Council

Architectural and Design Review Commission chair Rebecca Pynoos has entered the 2026 race for Beverly Hills City Council. The third‑generation resident announced on her campaign website that she is running in the June 2 election to deliver “fresh, resident‑first leadership” and to bring the perspective of renters and younger residents to the five‑member council.

Pynoos, 40, has deep roots in Beverly Hills. At 26 she became the youngest appointee to the city’s inaugural Cultural Heritage Commission, serving for six years as it developed a new historic‑preservation ordinance and created incentives to speed building permits. She now chairs the Architectural and Design Review Commission, which evaluates signage, facades, commercial developments and multi‑family. She notes that in eight years of service she has never missed a meeting and is “well‑prepared, reading through all materials”.

Professionally, Pynoos has managed city and federal grants and worked in urban policy and planning. She holds degrees from Brandeis University and the University of Southern California, where she earned a master’s degree in social work focused on policy and planning. She has completed additional urban‑planning coursework at USC’s School of Architecture, UC Berkeley’s College of Environmental Design and UCLA. Her civic résumé includes fellowships with the Jewish Federation’s Rautenberg New Leaders Program, the CORO LA Lead program and the Urban Land Institute’s GROW mentorship.

Pynoos grew up in the Flats north of Santa Monica Boulevard and now lives in the city’s southwest quadrant. She says that if elected she would be the only renter, millennial and Southwest resident on the council. Her platform pledges to strengthen public safety by fully resourcing police and fire departments, explore expanded facilities for the police department and ensure safety planning keeps pace with Metro expansion. She also promises to uphold neighborhood character while complying with state housing mandates, restore Planning Commission review of development agreements, improve transparency with clear reporting and real‑time tracking of major projects, and implement zero‑based budgeting reviews. Other priorities include supporting renters, seniors and families, revitalizing commercial corridors beyond Rodeo Drive and collaborating with residents across all neighborhoods.

Before launching her council campaign, Pynoos sought regional office. In March 2024 she ran for the Democratic Party Central Committee representing Assembly District 51. Official election results show she received 12,598 votes – about 5.3 percent – and finished outside the top seven candidates who won seats. Her campaign for that post emphasised safe, livable communities and progressive social policies.

Pynoos’ civic engagement extends beyond Beverly Hills. She has served as vice chair of the West Los Angeles Community Coalition, participated in the Metro Art Docent Council, joined the Westside Young Democrats and helped with public‑art advocacy. Her background in historic preservation stems from a lifelong fascination with architecture and archaeology, influenced by her father, John Pynoos, a housing scholar. At Brandeis she studied classical art and archaeology and visited excavations in Pompeii; at USC she petitioned to take architecture courses while earning her social‑work degree.

In launching her council bid, Pynoos frames Beverly Hills as facing “a transformational era” with state housing mandates, major “Builders Remedy” projects and the coming Metro rail extension. She argues that the city needs leadership that will plan smarter, strengthen public trust and keep Beverly Hills both safe and livable. With her experience on the Cultural Heritage and Architectural and Design Review commissions, and her emphasis on public safety and transparency, she hopes voters will see her as the next generation of leadership committed to balancing the city’s legacy with its future.