Lee Harris

In 2014, at 36, Lee Harris was elected to the State Senate, becoming the youngest senator in the state of Tennessee. He was selected by other Democratic senators as Senate Minority Leader, making him one of the youngest senate leaders in the country, one of only a handful of African American legislative leaders in the state, and the first African American leader in the state of Tennessee. Senator Harris has championed the causes of Tennesseans. Among his legislative initiatives, he has pushed for treatment coverage for persons with sickle cell anemia, a condition that plagues communities across the state; advocated for new laws to reform our criminal justice system; insured immediate public notification if lead is found in drinking water; and expansion of community college scholarships for students with learning disabilities. Prior to the 2014 election, Harris served on the Memphis City Council, where he stood as an unwavering voice for neighborhoods, gun safety, environmental protections, broad anti-discrimination laws, respect for reproductive freedom and privacy, and a strong middle class. In addition to serving as Senate Minority Leader, Senator Harris works as a tenured full professor of law at the University of Memphis Law School. He is the only African-American to achieve that rank in the history of the Law School.He is a proud product of the Memphis City Schools (Alcy Elementary, John P. Freeman Middle, and Overton High). He earned his undergraduate degree from Morehouse and his law degree from Yale. Lee is married to Professor Alena Allen. They have two children, Lee Allen Harris (10) and Claudia Harris (7).