Gloves may come off in WGA candidate forum

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Sparks could fly tonight when the Writers Guild of America, West hosts its annual ‘Candidates Night’ town hall election forum.

The 6 p.m. meeting, held at the guild’s headquarters in the Fairfax District, is supposed to give guild members an opportunity to ‘meet and discuss the issues with prospective candidates,’ according to a guild statement. Six candidates are vying for three officer positions that up for reelection, while 17 candidates are competing for eight open seats on the guild’s board of directors.

The polite language of the guild’s press release aside, the gathering probably won’t be a genteel affair. The two presidential candidates, John Wells and Elias Davis, have been locked in a highly charged contest. Davis’ supporters, including outgoing President Patric Verrone, have all but branded Wells, a former guild president and executive producer behind the hits ‘ER’ and ‘The West Wing,’ as a turncoat who can’t be trusted because of his relationships with management. Wells, in turn, has accused Verrone of doing anything to get Davis elected, including lying about Wells’ actions during last year’s writers strike. Davis, a writer for ‘MASH’ and ‘Frasier,’ is the union’s secretary-treasurer.

Guild members have already received ballots and statements from candidates. Election results will be tallied Sept. 18.

-- Richard Verrier

Photo (top): Elias Davis. Credit: Elias Davis

Photo (bottom): John Wells. Credit: Jill Connelly / Associated Press