Lee Harris (politician)
Lee Ardrey Harris (born August 10, 1978) is an American politician who is currently the Mayor of Shelby County, previously serving as a member of the Tennessee Senate, representing the 29th district. Harris is also a law professor. Prior to his election to the state senate, Harris served on the Memphis City Council, representing District 7. He was born and raised in Memphis, and studied at Morehouse College, followed by Yale Law School.[1]
Lee Harris | |
|---|---|
| 7th Mayor of Shelby County | |
| Assumed office September 1, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Mark Luttrell |
| Minority Leader of the Tennessee Senate | |
| In office January 13, 2015 – August 31, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Jim Kyle |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Yarbro |
| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 29th district | |
| In office January 13, 2015 – August 31, 2018 | |
| Preceded by | Ophelia Ford |
| Succeeded by | Raumesh Akbari |
| Member of the Memphis City Council from the 7th district | |
| In office 2011–2015 | |
| Preceded by | Berlin Boyd |
| Succeeded by | Berlin Boyd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 10, 1978 Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Morehouse College (BA) Yale University (JD) |
In 2014, he was elected to the Tennessee Senate to replace Ophelia Ford. He was elected in November 2014 by the Democratic Senate Caucus of the Tennessee State Senate to the leadership position of Senate Minority Leader. He is the first black lawmaker of either party to hold a leadership position in the Tennessee State Senate.[2] In 2018, Harris was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Shelby County, defeating Republican David Lenoir.[3][4] He was re-elected to a second term in 2022.[5]
Early life and education
Harris was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of a retired high school guidance counselor and a heating and air conditioning repairman. He attended Memphis city schools, including Alcy Elementary School, John P. Freeman Middle School, and Overton High School.[6] Harris attended Morehouse College on a full scholarship, graduating in 2000. While at Morehouse, Harris completed a one-year course of study at the London School of Economics. He graduated from Yale Law School in 2003.[7]
Career
Harris began his legal career as an associate at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, a Memphis law firm. In 2003, Harris began teaching at the University of Memphis, School of Law, attaining tenure in 2009. Harris teaches and publishes in the fields of corporate law.
In 2006, Harris unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.[8]
In 2011, Harris faced Kemba Ford in a runoff election for Memphis City Council. He won the race with more than 60% of the vote.
On April 3, 2014, Harris announced his intention to contest a Tennessee State Senate District 29 seat currently held by state Senator Ophelia Ford.[9] Harris was elected to the seat and was sworn in in January 2015. He was elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus of the Tennessee State Senate to be Senate Minority Leader for the session. He is the first black lawmaker of either party to hold a leadership position in the Tennessee State Senate.[2]
In 2018, Harris was the Democratic nominee for Shelby County Mayor. He won the general election, defeating Republican Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir 55-45%. Harris' campaign emphasized reducing poverty and expanding education, including access to jobs training and apprenticeships.[10] During his first term, Harris raised the minimum wage for Shelby County employees and oversaw the county's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also increased funding for early childhood education and created a paid parental leave program for county employees.[5]
Harris ran for re-election in 2022. He faced Republican Worth Morgan, a member of the Memphis City Council. The campaign centered around the county's crime rate and health care infrastructure. Harris defeated Morgan 58-42%[5]
Policy positions
Harris was a proponent of an October 16, 2012, amendment to Memphis' anti-discrimination ordinance, which prohibits the City of Memphis from discriminating on the basis of age, disability, national origin, ethnicity, gender identity, and sexual orientation.[11]
Books
Personal
Lee has two siblings Zafar Brooks and Leetra Harris.
References
- "Lee Harris defeats Kemba Ford in Memphis City Council District 7 runoff" (November 10, 2011). commercialappeal.com/
- Boucher, Dave (25 November 2015). "Senate Democrats choose freshmen as new leaders". The Tennessean. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- Ryan Poe. "Democrat Lee Harris declares victory in the Shelby County mayor's race". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
- "Tennessee Dem Sen. Harris to resign, begin county mayor term". The Washington Times. Retrieved September 1, 2018.
- Burgess, Katherine (August 5, 2022). "Four more years: Lee Harris reelected as mayor of Shelby County in extension of blue wave". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved August 31, 2022.
- "Harris Legal Career Leans on Desire to Help Community", Richard Alley (Oct 25, 2012). http://www.memphisdailynews.org/%5B%5D
- "Cecil C Humphreys School of Law :: Lee Harris :: University of Memphis". Archived from the original on 2013-04-06. Retrieved 2013-03-25. Lee Harris Biography: University of Memphis, School of Law
- http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2011/11/10/harris-appears-to-have-easy-win-in-district-7 Harris Romps to Easy Win in District 7, Memphis Flyer
- http://www.memphisflyer.com/JacksonBaker/archives/2014/04/03/fords-make-election-day-news-big-time Fords Make Filing-Day News, Big-Time, Memphis Flyer
- "Breaking down the Shelby County mayoral race". www.wmcactionnews5.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2012/oct/28/a-controversial-mainstream-city-ordinance/ A Controversial, Mainstream City Ordinance (October 28, 2012)