Writers Guild West Board Race Opens as ‘Big Mouth’ and ‘The Blacklist’ Showrunners, ‘Send Help’ Writer Join First Candidate Slate

Writers Guild West has begun the process for its 2026 board election with the announcement of the first slate of candidates by a union committee. The announcement, published Thursday, includes candidates tied to multiple high-profile television productions, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The election is scheduled to close on Sept. 15, and additional candidates may be added before the end of the filing period, the report said.

Among the candidates named in the first group are showrunners from the streaming comedy series Big Mouth and the NBC drama The Blacklist, The Hollywood Reporter reported. The report also named the screenwriter of Send Help, a title associated with the campaign, as part of the initial slate being circulated to members for consideration.

The Writers Guild West board election is organized through a committee process, and the union committee’s public announcement is intended to inform members about who is seeking seats. The Hollywood Reporter said the committee released the first crop of candidates on Thursday, with the election timetable continuing from that point toward the Sept. 15 close.

As with other internal union elections, the practical effect for members centers on governance of the organization, including how union leadership manages member services and represents writers’ interests in industry negotiations. Board members also play a role in setting internal policy and determining how the guild allocates resources, though specific responsibilities of the board were not detailed in the report.

The first public list of candidates can also serve as a report to the broader entertainment labor community, where membership engagement is closely watched during election cycles. For writers, the board vote is one of the ways members can influence who oversees guild operations during the coming year.

What happens next will be determined by the election process through Sept. 15. Members will be able to review the full candidate roster as the election proceeds, and the final outcome will follow the union’s voting and tally procedures after the close date.