SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Termed-out San Diego City Councilman Scott Sherman is taking aim at what he says is too much outside influence behind the scenes at City Hall.
In an interview with ABC 10News, Sherman said too many of his colleagues vote based on their own political preservation.
"Unfortunately, too many politicians are looking down the road and at what office they are going to run for next," Sherman said.
In a recent op-ed, Sherman said in politics he has learned that handshakes and signed memos are worth a "bucket of spit." He said political gadflies, union reps, party reps and political donors are wielding too much power of council members. Sherman believes this is the reason the city still has not come to an agreement on regulating short-term rentals, and is approving labor-friendly development projects.
"One of the things that bothered me the most in politics is how different special interest groups can literally come down, sit in the front row, and dictate to council members what they will and won't do if they want their support in the future, and unfortunately most of them do," Sherman said.
Sherman said he is the exception because he did not base his council career on a run for higher office. He did run for mayor in 2020, losing in the primary. But he said chose to run because of encouragement, and because no other Republican entered the race.
Michael Zucchet, who heads the city's Municipal Employees Association, said Sherman and other politicians generally define "special interests" as those that disagree with them.
"I wasn't very moved by his comments and they struck me as sour grapes," Zucchet said in an email. "It seems like pure hypocrisy to me. Not to mention baseless, transparent whining."
Sherman, who represented the Mission Valley area, is now going back into insurance sales. His departure will leave Chris Cate as the only Republican on the City Council because Sherman's seat flipped to Democrat in the November election.
