Liz Lee | |
|---|---|
| Member of theMinnesota House of Representatives from the 67A district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | John Thompson |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic (DFL) |
| Residence | Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| Education | Yale University (BA) |
| Occupation | Legislator |
| Website | Government websiteCampaign website |
Kaozouapa Elizabeth "Liz" Lee is an American politician serving in theMinnesota House of Representatives since 2023. A member of the MinnesotaDemocratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Lee represents District 67A in theTwin Cities metropolitan area, including parts ofSaint Paul inRamsey County.[1][2]
Lee was born to Hmong refugees who emigrated to the United States from a Thai refugee camp after being displaced from Laos.[3] She was raised in public housing on the east side ofSaint Paul, Minnesota, where she delivered papers for theEastside Review.[4][3] In high school, she worked as a House aide to state representativeTim Mahoney.[4]
Lee earned aBachelor of Arts degree in political science fromYale University.[5] She worked as a staffer for U.S. SenatorAmy Klobuchar, U.S. RepresentativeBarbara Lee, and U.S. RepresentativeKeith Ellison.[4] She worked as a nonprofit consultant before being elected to the state legislature.[4]
Lee was elected to theMinnesota House of Representatives in2022. In theDFL primary she defeated one-term incumbentJohn Thompson, who was expelled from the DFL House caucus in 2021 amid domestic abuse allegations.[1][6][7][8]
Lee serves as vice chair of the Property Tax Division of the Taxes Committee and as an assistant majority leader of the House DFL caucus. She also sits on the Children and Families Finance and Policy, Education Policy, and Taxes Committees.[1] Lee is a member of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and the Minnesota Asian and Pacific (MAP) Caucus.[9]
Lee ran on a platform of rent stabilization, well-paying jobs, infrastructure, and health equity.[4] She joined a group of Minnesota legislators in urging theU.S. Census Bureau to reclassify several Asian ethnicities, includingHmong, saying the bureau "didn't do proper stakeholder engagement" with the Asian community.[10] At a press conference on anti-Asian hate crimes, Lee said she and the MAP Caucus would push for further gun regulations.[9][11]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Liz Lee | 2,168 | 88.93 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | John Thompson | 270 | 11.07 | |
| Total votes | 2,438 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic (DFL) | Liz Lee | 6,320 | 75.13 | |
| Republican | Scott Hesselgrave | 2,077 | 24.69 | |
| Write-in | 15 | 0.18 | ||
| Total votes | 8,412 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Scott Hesselgrave | 3,178 | 25.74 | |
| Democratic (DFL) | Liz Lee (incumbent) | 9,133 | 73.96 | |
| Write-in | 37 | 0.30 | ||
| Total votes | 12,348 | 100.00 | ||
| Democratic (DFL)hold | ||||
Lee lives inSaint Paul, Minnesota and identifies asHmong.[1][15]