Alex Lee (politician)
Alex Lee | |
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Chinese: 李天明 | |
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Member of the California State Assembly from the 25th district | |
Assumed office December 7, 2020 | |
Preceded by | Kansen Chu |
Personal details | |
Born | San Jose, California, U.S. | July 11, 1995
Political party | Democratic |
Education | University of California, Davis (BA) |
Alex Tinming Lee (Chinese: 李天明; born July 11, 1995)[1] is an American politician who is a member of the California State Assembly from the 25th district.
Early life and education[]
Alex Tinming Lee was born in San Jose, California to immigrant parents from Hong Kong.[2][3] His father is an engineer,[2] and his mother is a nurse.[4] After his parents divorced, Alex Lee lived alternately with his father in Milpitas and his mother in North San Jose.[5] He graduated from Milpitas High School in 2013, then became interested in filmmaking, and eventually decided to pursue a dual degree in political science and communications at University of California, Davis.[6] Lee ran for a seat on the student senate at UC Davis in 2014 and served as student body president in 2016.[7]
Political career[]
While attending college, Lee was an intern for several politicians including Mike Honda, Ed Chau, Evan Low, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and Kansen Chu.[8] He began working for Henry Stern as a full time legislative aide upon graduating from UC Davis in 2017 and leaving Low's office.[5] Lee began campaigning for California's 25th State Assembly district in June 2019,[9] a seat left open by Chu.[10] Prior to running for office, Lee delivered food, and lived with his mother due to the high cost of living in his district.[11][12]
In March 2020, Lee finished second in a field of nine candidates in the non-partisan primary election by splitting the vote with seven other members of the Democratic Party.[13][14] He was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America.[15][16] In the general election, Lee easily defeated the Republican Party candidate who had finished ahead of him in the primary, Bob Brunton.[13] Upon taking his seat in the California State Assembly on December 7, 2020,[8][5] Lee became the body's youngest member and the first born in the 1990s, as well as its youngest Asian-American member and its first openly bisexual member.[8]
On his first day in office, Lee introduced a bill that would ban corporate donations to political candidates.[17] Lee has since introduced legislation in favor of increasing social housing in California.[18]
Electoral history[]
Primary election | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
Republican | Bob Brunton | 19,612 | 20.8 | |
Democratic | Alex Lee | 14,542 | 15.4 | |
Democratic | Anne Kepner | 12,823 | 13.6 | |
Democratic | Anna Song | 11,992 | 12.7 | |
Democratic | Natasha Gupta | 9,778 | 10.4 | |
Democratic | Carmen Montano | 9,672 | 10.2 | |
Democratic | Anthony Phan | 6,780 | 7.2 | |
Democratic | Roman Reed | 5,549 | 5.9 | |
Democratic | Jim Canova | 3,623 | 3.8 | |
Total votes | 94,371 | 100.0 | ||
General election | ||||
Democratic | Alex Lee | 135,733 | 70.5 | |
Republican | Bob Brunton | 56,775 | 29.5 | |
Total votes | 192,508 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic hold |
References[]
- ^ "Alex Tinming Lee was born on July 11, 1995 in Santa Clara County, California". California Birth Index.
- ^ a b 李, 榮 (6 November 2020). "25歲李天明 當選加州眾議員 史上最年輕". World Journal (in Chinese). Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ "Alex Lee". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-11-13.
- ^ Hampton, Caleb (11 November 2020). "UCD alum Alex Lee elected to Assembly". Davis Enterprise. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Whiting, Sam (9 November 2020). "At 25, California's youngest state legislator gets running start in San Jose". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Wong, Ashley (11 November 2020). "Asian American man just became California's youngest and first openly bisexual legislator". Sacramento Bee. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Quinn, Kathleen (6 November 2020). "Aggie alumnus Alex Lee wins seat in California State Assembly". The California Aggie. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ a b c Geha, Joseph (9 November 2020). "Homegrown Alex Lee, 25, becomes youngest state legislator in decades". Mercury News. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Shapiro, Eric (4 November 2020). "Alex Lee victorious in Assembly District 25 race". Milpitas Beat. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Geha, Joseph (14 February 2020). "Nine hopefuls vie for open Assembly District 25 seat". Mercury News. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Namkung, Victoria (17 November 2020). "Meet California's first Gen Z lawmaker". NBC News. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- ^ Geha, Joseph (17 November 2020). "UC Davis grad Alex Lee, 25, becomes youngest state legislator in decades". Daily Democrat. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- ^ a b Gutierrez, Melody (5 November 2020). "This Gen Z gig worker ran for office. Now he's California's youngest legislator". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Thompson, Don (6 November 2020). "California elects 25-year-old lawmaker, youngest in 82 years". Associated Press. Retrieved 12 November 2020.
- ^ Toledo, Aldo (13 November 2020). "Young Democratic Socialist, progressive candidates sweep into office across Peninsula". The Mercury News. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Special Newsletter: Election Update". Silicon Valley DSA. 15 November 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ Geha, Joseph (17 December 2020). "Bay Area Assemblymember Alex Lee pushing bill to ban corporate donations to candidates". The Mercury News. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
- ^ "Assemblyman Alex Lee's New 'Social Housing' Bill Would Put State in Development Business". San Jose Inside. 2021-02-11. Retrieved 2021-02-28.
- ^ "November 3, 2020, General Election-State Assembly" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Retrieved December 8, 2021.
External links[]
- 1995 births
- Living people
- 21st-century American politicians
- California politicians of Chinese descent
- University of California, Davis alumni
- Members of the California State Assembly
- Members of the Democratic Socialists of America
- California Democrats
- Bisexual politicians
- LGBT state legislators in California
- American politicians of Hong Kong descent
- People from Milpitas, California
- Politicians from San Jose, California
- Bisexual men
- 21st-century LGBT people