West Hollywood City Councilmember Sepi Shyne has announced that she will not seek re-election this November.
Shyne broke the news Saturday afternoon at the Stonewall Democrats’ 46th annual Stonewall Honors awards banquet during the acceptance speech she gave after receiving the organization’s Elected Official Award.
The announcement confirms what many had speculated following her unsuccessful campaign for Congress, which ended in March.
Shyne’s term on City Council began in 2020, when she and Mayor John M. Erickson capitalized on voter unrest during the presidential election, winning a record-breaking number of votes and ousting two longtime incumbents. As part of the majority faction on City Council, Shyne helped usher in major policy changes like higher minimum wages and defunding the sheriff which, while invigorating her progressive base, stoked fear in residents who saw crime rates rising and anger in businesses which were still recovering from COVID lockdowns.
Shyne’s relationship with her constituents has been contentious at times, particularly during her year as mayor, and she has often struggled to weather the public criticism that is endemic to modern politics. The lawsuit she filed against West Hollywood in December is likely creating further distance between her and City Hall.
Sources say Shyne wants to have a hand in finding her successor and is planning to endorse a candidate in the upcoming race — likely Zekiah Wright, her friend and appointee to the Rent Stabilization Commission, who in 2022 lost out on a council seat by just 13 votes. The Stonewall Democrats honored Wright with an award on Saturday as well.
Also rumored to be making preparations for a council run, possibly with Shyne’s support, is Planning Commissioner Erick Matos.
She finally read that writing on the wall!
Buh Bye Sepi and Buh Bye to any hope of a future political career.
I’m disappointed with how Sepi has conducted herself in 3 1/2years! I voted her into office and to this day I regret it! She lied to voters, residents and constituents and never explained her actions. She ascended to office by union mandate and money after being elected by residents who felt duped at the polls, disregarded and ignored their concerns. Sepi only to people invited to events or whom were screened prior. She seemed publicly inaccessible or referred to city hall to have your reasons and questions screened before hand. Public access was only limited to city council. She alienated… Read more »
What will all haters do now.
We’ll enjoy, NORMAL.
Its not like she is leaving with Byers, so there will be plenty to “do now”
Shyne succeeded in bringing a new level of divisiveness to our once-fair hamlet. The identity politics, the arrogant approach to policy, the vindictiveness that attended any policy disagreement, and the sheer ignorance of reality are her stain on this city. Shyne’s intolerance for diversity of thought manifests in name-calling to constituents who dared call her out on anything. I wish her well in her private endeavors; however, she has no place on any dais. Shyne’s otherwise useless and irrelevant endorsement of any other candidate will serve one function–to completely deter many from supporting those other candidates.
Whomever Shyne endorses – do NOT vote for that person as we will be getting more of the same.
We’ll miss you, Septic, like a backed up sewer full of sh*#.
Took her long enough to take the NOT SO SUBTLE hint.
Now, I’ve heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don’t really care for music, do ya?
It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
Hallelujah
This could be the single best announcement in WEHO for the last decade, TRULY!
Thank god.
One down, two to go.
JE, CB.
Glad that Sepi Shyne decided to get out of public office for West Hollywood. She was not a good fit for the city with her incompetence and huffy attitude.Let’s hope someone better will run for office.
Buh-bye.
Prayers answered🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Amen to that. Hopefully some sanity will begin to prevail. I also hope that Chelsea Byers will do the same… no matter how much money Unite 11 offers to pump into her campaign
I second the motion
To support the case for Byers’ departure from WeHo, or any, governance position please see and further disseminate the WeHoNews article concerning Byers’ active support for the terrorist organization Hamas.