Fue Lee
Fue Lee | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Minnesota House of Representatives from the 59A district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2017 | |
| Preceded by | Joe Mullery |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party |
| Alma mater | Carleton College |
| Occupation | community organizer |
Fue Lee (born 1991)[1] is a Hmong American community organizer and activist from Minneapolis, Minnesota.[2] He is the state Representative for House District 59A in the Minnesota House of Representatives.[3] Elected in 2016, Lee is the first person of color and of Asian descent to represent that district in the Minnesota House.[4] He is the fourth Hmong American elected to a state legislature.[citation needed] In 2018, he was re-elected by a landslide and became Assistant Majority Leader in the MN House of Representatives -- making him the highest ranking official of Hmong descent; however state Sen. Foung Hawj claims to be the top, but the DFL senator is only a committee lead in the GOP controlled MN Senate. [5]
Lee was born in a refugee camp in Thailand to Hmong parents from Laos, and came to Minneapolis as a toddler in 1992.[6] He is a graduate of Carleton College, and was an employee in the office of the Minnesota Secretary of State.[2][7] He co-founded the Asian American Organizing Project and Progressive Hmong American Organizers with former state Senator Mee Moua, DFL activist Yee Chang, and state Representative Jay Xiong; and has previously worked under then-Representative Steve Simon, Representative John Lesch, and Congressman Keith Ellison.[1]
Community leaders encouraged Fue Lee to run into the primaries after losing the DFL convention endorsement during the first round of voting by a delegate.[7] Many felt the local senate district DFL and current lawmaker was not representative of the people. According to Lee, "One of the reasons I decided to run for office is because candidates that were supposed to represent all of the city and its communities weren’t doing their job. I want to be able to respect my community by understanding the issues we’re facing on a daily basis."[8]
On August 9, 2016, Fue Lee unseated 20-year incumbent Joe Mullery who was backed by the DFL political establishment including state Senator Foung Hawj, Congressman Keith Ellison, and Governor Mark Dayton,.[9]
Lee won the primary election decisively, receiving 55.5% of the vote, to 44.5% for Mullery.[10] His Republican opponent in the November 8, 2016 election was Jessica Newville.[11] Lee was elected on November 8, 2016 [1] receiving 81.3% of the vote. [12]
External links
References
- ^ a b c Tevlin, Jon (November 8, 2016). "From Rep.-elect Fue Lee, a lesson in what democracy looks like". Minneapolis Star Tribune. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
- ^ a b Jurewitsch, Andreas (August 1, 2016). "In Their Own Words: Fue Lee, Candidate for Minnesota House District 59A, North Minneapolis". Hmong Pages. Vol. 7 (8 ed.).
- ^ FOX. "Fue Lee wins DFL nomination in District 59A". KMSP. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Rupar, Aaron (August 11, 2016). "From Refugee Camps To The Statehouse: Two Groundbreaking Primary Victories In Minnesota". ThinkProgress. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ "Rep. Fue Lee (59A) - Minnesota House of Representatives". www.house.leg.state.mn.us. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
- ^ "Neighbors for Fue Lee". fuelee.org. Retrieved November 11, 2016.
- ^ a b "What Fue Lee's victory says about the political power of Hmong-Americans in Minneapolis". MinnPost. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ Hutchins, Marcelle (November 10, 2016). "These elected officials are among the few who were born outside the US". KERA (FM). Dallas. Retrieved November 12, 2016.
- ^ "Fue Lee to run for Minnesota House Seat 59A". Asian American Press. February 6, 2016. Retrieved October 27, 2016.
- ^ "Results for State Representative District 59A". Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon. August 11, 2016. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
- ^ "A New Voice for North Minneapolis". Jessica Newville Minnesota House District 59A. 2016. Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ "Minnesota District 59A State House Results: Fue Lee Wins". New York Times. November 10, 2016. Retrieved November 10, 2016.