Lee Harris (politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lee Harris
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Harris in 2018
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| 7th Mayor of Shelby County | |
| Assumed office September 1, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Luttrell |
| Minority Leader of the Tennessee Senate | |
| In office January 13, 2015 – August 31, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Jim Kyle |
| Succeeded by | Jeff Yarbro |
| Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 29th district |
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| In office January 13, 2015 – August 31, 2018 |
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| Preceded by | Ophelia Ford |
| Succeeded by | Raumesh Akbari |
| Member of the Memphis City Council from the 7th district |
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| In office 2011–2015 |
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| 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) |
Lee Ardrey Harris (born August 10, 1978) is an American politician. He is currently the Mayor of Shelby County. Before this, he was a member of the Tennessee Senate. He represented the 29th district.
Harris is also a law professor. He taught at the University of Memphis. Before joining the state senate, he served on the Memphis City Council. He was born and grew up in Memphis. He studied at Morehouse College and then Yale Law School.
In 2014, he was elected to the Tennessee Senate. He took the place of Ophelia Ford. In November 2014, his fellow Democratic senators chose him. He became the Senate Minority Leader. He was the first Black lawmaker to hold a leadership role in the Tennessee State Senate. In 2018, Harris ran for Mayor of Shelby County. He won against David Lenoir. He was re-elected for a second term in 2022.
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Early Life and Education
Lee Harris was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. His mother was a high school guidance counselor. His father repaired heating and air conditioning. Harris went to Memphis city schools. These included Alcy Elementary and John P. Freeman Middle School. He also attended Overton High School.
Harris earned a full scholarship to Morehouse College. He graduated from Morehouse in 2000. While there, he studied for a year at the London School of Economics. He then went to Yale Law School. He graduated from Yale in 2003.
Political Career
Harris started his legal career at a law firm in Memphis. In 2003, he began teaching law. He became a tenured professor in 2009. He teaches and writes about business law.
In 2011, Harris ran for the Memphis City Council. He won the election with over 60% of the votes. On April 3, 2014, Harris announced he would run for the Tennessee State Senate. He was elected to represent District 29. He was sworn in during January 2015.
His fellow Democratic senators chose him as Senate Minority Leader. This was a big step. He was the first Black lawmaker to hold a leadership position in the Tennessee State Senate.
Mayor of Shelby County
In 2018, Harris ran for Mayor of Shelby County. He won the election. He defeated David Lenoir by 55% to 45%. Harris's campaign focused on helping people. He wanted to reduce poverty. He also aimed to improve education. This included offering job training and apprenticeships.
During his first term, Mayor Harris made some important changes. He raised the minimum wage for county workers. He also led the county's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He increased money for early childhood education. He also started a paid parental leave program for county employees.
Harris ran for re-election in 2022. He won against Worth Morgan. The campaign talked about crime rates and health care. Harris defeated Morgan with 58% of the vote.
Policy Ideas
Harris supported a change to Memphis's anti-discrimination law. This change happened on October 16, 2012. It stops the City of Memphis from treating people unfairly. This includes based on age, disability, or background. It also covers gender identity and sexual orientation.
Books Written
