Lee Harris (politician)
Lee Ardrey Harris (born August 10, 1978) is an American politician who currently serves as 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 represented District 7 on the Memphis City Council. He was born and raised in Memphis, and studied at Morehouse College, followed by Yale Law School.
Lee Harris | |
|---|---|
Harris in 2018 | |
| 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. In 2018, Harris was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Shelby County, defeating Republican David Lenoir. He was re-elected to a second term in 2022.