Sepi Shyne

Sepideh Shyne (née Ghafouri; born February 19, 1977) is an Iranian-born American attorney, civil rights advocate, and member of the West Hollywood City Council who has been serving as West Hollywood's mayor since 2023. Shyne is the first LGBTQ+ Iranian-American to be elected to office as well as the first woman of color elected to the West Hollywood City Council, with her election making the first female-majority council in the city's history. She is currently a candidate for California's 30th congressional district in the 2024 election to succeed Adam Schiff. Early life and career Shyne was born Sepideh Ghafouri on February 19, 1977 in Mashhad, Iran, with her family fleeing Iran in 1982 due to the Iranian Revolution. They moved to Santa Clara Valley, California, where she attended De Anza College and later transferred to San Jose State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science. She later got her Juris Doctor at Golden Gate University School of Law before moving to Los Angeles in 2006, relocating to West Hollywood afterwards. In 2009, she founded the company Soulillume, which specializes in reiki. Political career Early political career After graduating from law school, Shyne was elected to the Bay Area Lawyers for Individual Freedom. After moving to West Hollywood, she was elected to the LGBT Bar Association of Los Angeles, becoming its co-president in 2008.