In February 2020, he filed paperwork to run for Mayor of New York City in the Democratic primary in 2021, which was ultimately won by Eric Adams.

[2] Born in New York, to parents Michael and Martha,[3] Donovan grew up on the Upper East Side and attended the Dalton School in Manhattan.

[6][5][7][8] Shaun's father, Michael Donovan, is the founder and chairman of the board of directors of advertising software company Mediaocean.

[10][11] He worked for Prudential Mortgage Capital, from 2002 to 2004, as a managing director of FHA lending and affordable housing investments.

[14][15] While Secretary, Donovan oversaw the allocation of 75% of HUD's share of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act within one week of the bill's passage.

[22] Despite being one of the first announced candidates, Donovan got little support from local organizations and elected officials, and was ranked in the bottom half of pre-primary polls.

He committed a notable gaffe when, during an interview with the New York Times,[23] he estimated the median sale price of a home in Brooklyn to be "around $100,000," when it was actually $900,000.

[24] Donovan later emailed the New York Times to explain that he thought the question referred to the median assessed value of Brooklyn homes, not the sale price.