Jimmy Delshad Poised to Become First Iranian American Mayor of Beverly Hills


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Delshad was one of six candidates running for two open city council seats in Beverly Hills. Unofficial election results show him with the second highest number of votes, 22%, which would give him one of the two at-large seats on the city council. The City Clerk is expected to certify the results as official on Friday, March 16, 2007.

As a "general law city," Beverly Hills is governed by a five-member city council, which includes the mayor and vice-mayor. Every two years, two or three people are elected to serve four-year terms on the city council. According to tradition, the most senior member of the council is formally selected mayor at the first City Council meeting after the election results are official; in this case, that would be March 27th. Delshad, first elected to the city council in 2003, is next in line by seniority.

In Beverly Hills, the mayor is the presiding officer of the council. A hired city manager is the city's chief executive officer.

"I am pleased and grateful to have received the support of IAPAC,” said Delshad. “Their support helped me get my message to the voters of Beverly Hills."

Born in Shiraz, Delshad immigrated to the United States in 1959 as a teenager. After obtaining his degree in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California, he embarked on a career in computer technology, going into business for himself in 1978 in the then-new field of computer storage technology. From 1999 through 2001, Delshad served as President of Los Angeles's Sinai Temple, one of the largest synagogues in the U.S. Delshad was the first Iranian American selected to lead a large American synagogue.

Delshad's election symbolizes the growing influence of the Iranian American community of Beverly Hills. Nearly three decades after arriving in America and establishing themselves as one of the most educated and economically successful ethnic communities in the United States, Iranian Americans are becoming increasingly involved in politics. In Beverly Hills, three of the six candidates vying for city council spots in the March 6th election were of Iranian descent. In addition to Delshad, the Iranian American candidates included business consultant Shahram Melamed and attorney Maggie Soleimani.

Click here to learn more about the Beverly Hills City Council.