Candidate for
Council Member; City of Arcata

Shane Brinton is a dynamic, hard working leader with a deep commitment to serving our community. At the age of 25, he already has a long history of involvement. He has served nearly seven years in public office, first as a local school board member and now as one of our City Councilmembers.

Born and raised in Arcata, Shane was brought up in a culture of social awareness and public service. His mother Susan regularly took him along to her classes at HSU and to her board meetings at the Northcoast Environmental Center. Shane soon became forever committed to working for a better, more just world. As he grew older, he became involved in community organizing around social and economic issues, a path that ultimately led him to run for public office.

At the age of 18, Shane was elected as a Governing Board Member for the Northern Humboldt Union High School District, making him the youngest elected official in Humboldt County. Shane worked hard to represent parents, teachers, and students, advocating for greater transparency and community involvement in decision making.

Since his election to the Arcata City Council in 2008, Shane has been a strong advocate for local economic development, environmental sustainability, affordable housing, civil liberties and public safety, among other things. He has served on the boards of a number of regional government agencies. In 2011 his fellow City Councilmembers voted to make him Vice Mayor.

Many people recognize Shane from the two wonderful years he spent working at Arcata Scoop, but his primary career consists of working for candidates, ballot initiatives, and nonprofits. He has experience on local, state, and federal campaigns.

Shane lives just a few blocks off the Plaza and can often be found chatting with people at Brio. He's a cyclist, a Thai Food enthusiast, and a Crabs baseball fan. His partner Kaitlin is a leader in her own right, serving as President of the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District and running a local nonprofit. Together they enjoy attending plays, meeting friends at the Farmers' Market, and of course talking about local government.