Screenwriter Michele Mulroney will become the next president of the Writers Guild of America West after the union announced Wednesday that she is unopposed in the final list of candidates for its upcoming board and officer elections.
Mulroney, who is currently the vice president of WGA West, will succeed “Cold Case” creator Meredith Stiehm as head of the union. Stiehm and Mulroney led the union through its 2023 strike alongside WGA East leaders Michael Winship and Lisa Takeuchi Cullen, culminating in a deal that included landmark artificial intelligence protections and increased pay for writers.
Mulroney, along with the winners of the upcoming elections and the to-be-announced bargaining committee, will be tasked with negotiating the next labor contract with Hollywood’s studios next spring as economic downturns and pressure to turn streaming services profitable have led to a scaling back in the number of productions greenlit. The strike-ending contract that was agreed to by the WGA and studios in September 2023 will expire on May 1, 2026.
In the other officer races, board member Travis Donnelly and “The Goldbergs” writer Jeffrey Thompson will campaign for vice president while “Wizards of Waverly Place” writer and executive producer Peter Murrieta and former board member Van Robichaux will run for secretary-treasurer.
For the board elections, 17 candidates, including four incumbents, will run for eight open seats: Matt Ross, Marguerite MacIntyre, Rob Forman (inc.), Evan Mirzai, Myles Warden, Dahéli Hall, Jill Goldsmith, Molly Nussbaum (inc.), Gia King, Maggie Levin (inc.), Christina Walker, Elliott Kalan, Malcolm Spellman, Mike Royce, Cathryn Humphris, Adam Conover (inc.), and Kevin L. Miller.
WGAW members will receive voting materials and candidate statements on August 29 and will be able to vote until September 23.
