Hollywood Unlocked founder Jason Lee won a seat on the city council in his Stockton, Calif., hometown.
The pop culture connoisseur was officially named a city councilman after winning the seat with 56 percent of the vote (3,505 votes) over incumbent and Stockton’s Vice Mayor Kimberley Warmsley (2,727 votes) on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
Lee, 47, conveyed his gratitude to his 1.2 million followers on Instagram following the victory celebration.
“Deeply honored to have earned the support and trust of my neighbors, the voters of my hometown, and you,” said Lee. “Now I begin the work of creating safer and stronger communities, improving our quality of life and charting our next chapter.”
“Heck, forget the next chapter. We will write a whole new book!” he added. “Deeply honored to have earned the support and trust of my neighbors, the voters of my hometown, and you.”
Lee was born and raised in Stockton, which is about 80 miles east of San Francisco and 50 miles south of the state capital in Sacramento. He rocketed to fame after launching his publication, Hollywood Unlocked, which features interviews with the A-list entertainers he hangs out with. He even attended the Met Gala in New York with Wendy Williams.
Later, Lee launched his popular “Hollywood Unlocked” podcast and is known for his close friendships with the likes of singer Rihanna, rapper Cardi B and actress Tiffany Haddish. He also appeared on the reality show “Love and Hip Hop Hollywood,” which exponentially expanded his profile and brand.
Lee’s political campaign was not without controversy, as he reportedly attended a party that was thrown by incumbent councilmember Michele Padilla, which is illegal.
The entertainment personality talked to BET.com about how the political world is far different from his experiences in entertainment.
“When I talk on Hollywood Unlocked, people are going to like my opinion or not,” Lee said. “But when you’re in the streets trying to tackle homelessness, trying to make the streets safer for kids, making sure people live in market-rate housing, and have a community that can thrive again, it’s a very different experience.”
Lee also talked to Blavity about why he chose to be a public servant.
“I’m going to show them that you could be cool, you could live, but you can also give back to your community. You can also commit to service,” Lee said.
“My commitment to what is a part-time position will be full-time because you have to have a full-time heart and put a full-time effort into everything you do. So, I hope to be an example for the people. I want to say, ‘I know it is a sacrifice, but if not you, then who, and if you can do it, do it.’ And I think if more people did it, we would see a different world.”
