Ed Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ed Lee
Official portrait, 2011
43rd Mayor of San Francisco
In office January 11, 2011 – December 12, 2017
Preceded by	Gavin Newsom
Succeeded by	London Breed (Acting)
City Administrator of San Francisco
In office June 22, 2005 – January 11, 2011
Preceded by	William Lee
Succeeded by	Naomi Kelly
Personal details
Born	Edwin Mah Lee (1952-05-05)May 5, 1952 Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Died	December 12, 2017(2017-12-12) (aged 65) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Resting place	Cypress Lawn Memorial Park
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Anita Lee ​ (m. 1980)​
Children	2
Education	Bowdoin College (BA) University of California, Berkeley (JD)

Edwin Mah Lee (Chinese: 李孟賢; May 5, 1952 – December 12, 2017) was an American politician and lawyer. He served as the 43rd Mayor of San Francisco from 2011 until he passed away in 2017. He was the first Asian American to become mayor of San Francisco.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Ed Lee was a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming mayor, he worked as the San Francisco city administrator starting in 2005. On January 11, 2011, the Board of Supervisors chose him to finish the term of former mayor Gavin Newsom. Newsom had resigned to become Lieutenant Governor of California. Later that year, on November 8, 2011, Ed Lee won the election to serve a full term as mayor. He was reelected in 2015.

Ed Lee's Early Life

Ed Lee was born in 1952 in Seattle, Washington. His parents came to the United States from China in the 1930s. His father worked as a cook and restaurant manager. He passed away when Ed Lee was 15 years old. His mother worked as a seamstress and waitress. Ed Lee had five brothers and sisters.

He went to Franklin High School. After high school, he graduated with high honors from Bowdoin College in 1974. He then went on to graduate from the University of California, Berkeley, School of Law in 1978.

Working for San Francisco

After finishing law school, Ed Lee became a lawyer. He worked for the San Francisco Asian Law Caucus. There, he helped people find affordable housing. He also supported the rights of immigrants and renters.

In 1989, Mayor Art Agnos appointed Lee to a new role. He became the city's first investigator for a special rule about whistleblowers. Later, he was made deputy director of Human Relations. In 1991, he became the executive director of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission. He held this job under several mayors.

In 2000, he became the director of public works for the city. In 2005, Mayor Newsom appointed him as the city administrator. In this role, he helped make the city government more efficient. He also created the city's first ten-year plan for big building projects.

Becoming Mayor

In 2010, the mayor's job became open. The current mayor, Gavin Newsom, was elected as Lieutenant Governor of California. According to San Francisco's rules, the Board of Supervisors had to choose someone to fill the mayor's spot.

The Board of Supervisors thought about a few people. Ed Lee was one of them. At first, they couldn't agree on a choice. But on January 7, 2011, the board voted 10–1 to choose Ed Lee as mayor. At that time, Lee said he would not try to be elected mayor later. This promise helped him get support for the appointment.

Lee with Democratic U.S. House Leader Nancy Pelosi

The final vote happened on January 11, 2011. The new board voted for Ed Lee, and he became mayor right away.

2011 Mayoral Election

Ed Lee's term as appointed mayor would end in January 2012. He had promised not to run for election. However, many people in San Francisco wanted him to run. They started a "Run Ed Run" campaign. Even Senator Dianne Feinstein supported him running.

On August 7, 2011, Ed Lee changed his mind. He announced that he would seek election for mayor. He said that the good cooperation he saw in the city inspired him. Ed Lee won the November 2011 election.

2015 Reelection

In 2015, Ed Lee ran for mayor again. He won the election with 56% of the votes. There were no other candidates with a lot of political experience.

What He Did as Mayor (2011–2017)

Helping Mid-Market Grow

Mayor Lee started a plan to help the Mid-Market, San Francisco area. He gave companies a temporary break from paying a city tax if they moved there. This helped companies like Twitter and Square, Inc. move into the area. Later, Uber and Dolby Laboratories also moved there. This plan helped bring new businesses to the city.

Housing for Everyone

Lee with United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro in 2015

In 2012, Mayor Lee suggested creating a Housing Trust Fund. This fund would help pay for affordable housing for many years. In 2014, he announced a program to help people who were being evicted from their homes.

That same year, Lee promised to build or fix 30,000 homes by 2020. Half of these homes would be for people with low, working, or middle incomes. He also started a program to buy and protect apartment buildings. This helped prevent evictions and rising rents. In 2015, a $310 million plan to pay for housing passed. In 2017, Lee approved a $44 million project to build affordable housing for teachers.

Raising the Minimum Wage

In December 2013, Mayor Lee asked for an increase in San Francisco's minimum wage. In 2014, the city's supervisors approved a plan to raise the minimum wage. In October 2014, Lee announced that the city's minimum wage would go up to $11.05 per hour starting January 1, 2015.

In 2015, Lee worked with others to raise California's minimum wage. They wanted it to gradually increase to $15 an hour by 2022. The state government approved this plan.

Personal Life and Passing

Ed Lee married his wife, Anita, in 1980. They had two daughters named Tania and Brianna.

On December 11, 2017, Ed Lee collapsed while shopping near his home. He was taken to the hospital. He passed away on December 12, 2017, at the age of 65. Doctors said his death was caused by heart disease.

Awards and Honors

Ed Lee graduated with high honors from Bowdoin College in 1974. He also graduated from Boalt Hall School of Law at University of California, Berkeley, in 1978. In April 2011, he received an award for his dedication to bringing different groups together to help the community.

See also

• History of Chinese Americans in San Francisco
• List of mayors of the 50 largest cities in the United States
• California Hall of Fame