Incumbent Frederic T. Woodman, who was appointed after the resignation of Charles E. Sebastian, was re-elected over former Mayor Meredith P. Snyder.

Municipal elections in California, including Mayor of Los Angeles, are officially nonpartisan; candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot.

[1] The previous mayor, Charles E. Sebastian, resigned on September 2, 1916, due to newspapers publishing letters between him and Lillian Pratt showing infidelity.

[3] In the election, Woodman faced former Mayor Meredith P. Snyder, who previously led the city from 1900 to 1904.

In the election, Woodman won outright, preventing the need for a runoff.