Sheila Jackson Lee facts for kids

In this article, the family name is Jackson Lee, not Lee.

Quick facts for kids Sheila Jackson Lee


Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 18th district
In office January 3, 1995 – July 19, 2024
Preceded by	Craig Washington
Succeeded by	Vacant
Member of the Houston City Council from the at-large district
In office January 2, 1990 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Anthony Hall
Succeeded by	John Peavy

Personal details
Born	Sheila Jackson (1950-01-12)January 12, 1950 Queens, New York, U.S.
Died	July 19, 2024(2024-07-19) (aged 74) Houston, Texas, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Elwyn Lee (m. 1973)
Children	2
Education	New York University Yale University (BA) University of Virginia (JD)

Sheila Jackson Lee (January 12, 1950 – July 19, 2024) was an American lawyer and politician. She served as a U.S. representative for the 18th district of Texas from 1995 until her death in 2024. This district covers most of central Houston. She was a member of the Democratic Party. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, she was a member of the Houston City Council. She was also a leader in the group of U.S. Representatives from Texas.

Sheila Jackson Lee was born in Queens, New York. She earned a scholarship for Black students at New York University. Later, she graduated from Yale University in 1972 with a degree in political science. In 1975, she earned a law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law. After moving to Houston, she became a municipal judge in 1987. In 1989, she was elected to the Houston City Council. She served there until 1994, when she decided to run for Congress. She won the election and became a U.S. Representative.

During her time in Congress, Sheila Jackson Lee supported many progressive ideas. She introduced important laws, like one about transportation worker IDs in 2013. In 2021, she introduced a bill about gun licensing and registration. In 2019, she stepped down from leading the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She also left her role as chair of a subcommittee in the House Judiciary.

In March 2023, Jackson Lee announced she would run for mayor of Houston. She came in second place in the first round of voting. Since no one won more than 50% of the votes, a second election was held. She lost this election to John Whitmire. After her mayoral race, she decided to run again for her congressional seat. She won the Democratic primary election in March 2024. She passed away from cancer in July 2024.

Early Life and Career in Texas
U.S. House of Representatives
2023 Houston Mayoral Run
Political Views
Personal Life
- Illness and Death
Awards and Recognition
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Career in Texas

Sheila Jackson was born in Queens, New York. Her father, Ezra Clyde Jackson, was a comic book artist. His parents were from Jamaica. Her mother, Ivalita Bennett Jackson, was a nurse from St. Petersburg, Florida.

Jackson Lee went to Jamaica High School in Queens. She earned her college degree in political science from Yale University in 1972. She then earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1975.

She moved to Houston because her husband, Elwyn Lee, got a job at the University of Houston. Before becoming a U.S. Representative, she tried three times to become a local judge. She then served as a municipal judge in Houston, Texas, from 1987 to 1990. She was appointed to this role by the mayor at the time, Kathy Whitmire.

In 1989, Jackson Lee won a seat on the Houston City Council. She served on the council until 1994. While on the city council, she helped pass a law to keep guns away from children. She also worked to extend summer hours at city parks to help reduce gang violence.

U.S. House of Representatives

First Election to Congress

In 1994, Sheila Jackson Lee decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran against Craig Washington, who had been the representative for four terms. Washington had faced criticism for not supporting projects that would help Houston. Jackson Lee won the Democratic primary election with 63% of the votes. This district was mostly Democratic, so winning the primary meant she was very likely to win the main election. She easily won the general election against Jerry Burley, with 73% of the votes.

Time in Office

Jackson Lee watches as Paul Ryan signs the First Step Act of 2018

Before the 110th Congress, Jackson Lee was part of the House Science Committee. She also served on the subcommittee that looked after space policy and NASA. She was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, a group of African American members of Congress.

In September 2013, Jackson Lee introduced a bill called the Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act. This bill asked the United States Department of Homeland Security to check how well a program called TWIC was working. The TWIC program helps make transportation safer. The bill wanted an independent review to see if the program truly made things more secure.

In January 2019, Jackson Lee announced she would leave her role as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. She also stepped down from leading a subcommittee in the House Judiciary.

On January 4, 2021, Jackson Lee introduced the Sabika Sheikh Firearm Licensing and Registration Act. This bill would require licenses for all firearms. It would also ban certain large types of ammunition.

During the 117th Congress (2021–2023), Jackson Lee voted with President Joe Biden's ideas 100% of the time. In January 2023, Jackson Lee and Representative Lloyd Doggett became the senior members of Texas's congressional group. This happened after Eddie Bernice Johnson retired.

Committee Work

Sheila Jackson Lee was a member of several important committees in the House of Representatives:

Committee on the Judiciary
- Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security
Committee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies
- Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
Committee on the Budget

Caucus Memberships

Jackson Lee was also part of many caucuses. Caucuses are groups of lawmakers who share common interests. Some of the caucuses she belonged to include:

The 9-11 Commission Caucus
The Building a Better America Caucus (BABAC)
The Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety
The Congressional Human Rights Caucus
The Congressional Algeria Caucus
The Congressional Pakistan Caucus
The US-Afghan Caucus
Veterinary Medicine Caucus
Congressional Progressive Caucus
House Baltic Caucus
Congressional Arts Caucus
Afterschool Caucuses
Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
U.S.-Japan Caucus
Medicare for All Caucus

2023 Houston Mayoral Run

On March 27, 2023, Jackson Lee announced she was running for mayor of Houston. This was for the 2023 election. She received support from important political figures. These included the outgoing Houston mayor Sylvester Turner, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and former presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. On November 7, 2023, Jackson Lee finished second in the election. She was behind Democratic state senator John Whitmire. However, none of the 18 candidates won more than 50% of the votes.

Because no one won outright, Jackson Lee and Whitmire went to a second election on December 9, 2023. Jackson Lee lost to Whitmire, who won with almost 65% of the votes. After her loss, Jackson Lee decided to run for re-election to her U.S. House seat on December 11, 2023.

Political Views

Foreign Policy

In 2000, Jackson Lee supported making trade with China permanently normal. She believed this would help human rights and Houston's economy.

She traveled to the 2001 World Conference against Racism in South Africa. She also supported stopping trade with Sudan to pressure its government. In 2006, she was arrested for protesting in front of Sudan's embassy in Washington. She was protesting the government's role in the conflict in Darfur.

Jackson Lee wanted better relations between the U.S. and Venezuela. She described Venezuela as a friendly nation. She thought the U.S. should allow the sale of F-16 fighter jets to Venezuela. The U.S. government had banned these sales due to Venezuela's ties with Iran and Cuba.

In May 2015, Jackson Lee visited Azerbaijan. The government of Azerbaijan paid for her trip.

She spoke out against President Erdoğan's actions in Turkey after a failed coup in 2016. She criticized the widespread arrests and removals of people from their jobs.

Domestic Policy

Jackson Lee was very involved in issues about immigration. She suggested making border security stronger. She also wanted to create more ways for people living in the U.S. without legal status to become legal residents. She did not support a guest worker program. She felt it might mislead people into thinking they could stay permanently.

In January 2011, Jackson Lee said that canceling the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would go against the U.S. Constitution. She believed the act was constitutional under the Commerce Clause. She also argued that repealing it would violate parts of the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments.

At a March 2011 meeting of the Homeland Security Committee, Jackson Lee said that hearings about radical Muslims in the U.S. were helping al-Qaeda. She said the hearings were scaring Muslim Americans and called them "an outrage."

LGBT Rights

In 1996, Jackson Lee voted "present" on the Defense of Marriage Act. In 2009, she voted for the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. This law made it a federal crime to commit violence against someone because of their orientation or gender identity. In 2010, she voted to end "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." This allowed gay, lesbian, and bisexual people to serve openly in the U.S. military.

In 2019, Jackson Lee voted for the Equality Act. This law would expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to stop discrimination based on orientation and gender identity. Jackson Lee criticized Republican lawmakers who were against this law for religious reasons.

Racial Issues

In 2003, Jackson Lee suggested changing how tropical cyclones and hurricanes are named. She thought that "all racial groups should be represented" in the names. She wanted meteorological groups to "try to be inclusive of African American names."

At the July 2010 NAACP national convention, Jackson Lee compared the Tea Party movement to the Ku Klux Klan. She said that "all those who wore sheets a long time ago have now lifted them off." Some conservatives criticized her for these comments.

Jackson Lee was a key leader in the effort to make Juneteenth a federal holiday in the U.S. This recognition was achieved in 2021.

Personal Life

In 1973, Sheila Jackson married Elwyn Lee. He has worked as a law professor and a vice president at the University of Houston. They had two children together. Jackson Lee was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist faith. She was also part of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and The Links organization.

Illness and Death

Jackson Lee had breast cancer before, but she was declared cancer-free in 2012.

On June 2, 2024, Jackson Lee announced that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was receiving treatments for it. She passed away at a hospital in Houston on July 19, 2024, at the age of 74.

Many people shared their thoughts about her. U.S. Representative James Clyburn said she was "a tenacious advocate for civil rights and a tireless fighter." Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin praised her hard work, saying she "studied every bill and every amendment with exactitude." Former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Jackson Lee was "a powerful voice in the Congress for our constitution and human rights."

Awards and Recognition

Hilal-i-Pakistan (Crescent of Pakistan) Award (the highest civil award of Pakistan) from the President of Pakistan in 2020. This award recognized her services to Pakistan.

Images for kids

Sheila Jackson Lee
Jackson Lee watches as Paul Ryan signs the First Step Act of 2018