Mayor Ed Lee

Mayor Ed Lee
Name	Ed Lee
Caption	Edwin M. Lee in 2012
Office	43rd Mayor of San Francisco
Term start	January 11, 2011
Term end	December 12, 2017
Predecessor	Gavin Newsom
Successor	London Breed
Birth name	Edwin Mah Lee
Birth date	May 5, 1952
Birth place	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Death date	December 12, 2017
Death place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Party	Democratic
Spouse	Anita Lam
Alma mater	University of San Francisco, University of California, Berkeley

Mayor Ed Lee was the 43rd mayor of San Francisco, serving from 2011 until his death in 2017. A son of Chinese immigrants born in Seattle, he became the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco after a political career that included roles in legal practice, the U.S. Department of Justice, and municipal administration. Lee's tenure presided over rapid changes tied to the dot-com bubble, the Great Recession, and the rise of the tech industry in the Bay Area.

Early life and education

Edwin Mah Lee was born in Seattle to parents who emigrated from Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. He grew up in the International District and attended Nathan Hale High School. Lee relocated to San Francisco to study at the University of San Francisco, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts before attending the UC Berkeley School of Law for a Juris Doctor. Influences during his youth included the experiences of Chinese American communities in San Francisco Chinatown, the legacy of the Chinese Exclusion Act, and civic figures such as Dianne Feinstein and Willie Brown who shaped California politics.

Legal and public service career

After law school, Lee worked in private practice and joined the U.S. Department of Justice during the Carter administration era before moving into municipal roles. He served as a civil rights lawyer at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and later as general counsel for the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. Lee joined the administration of Gavin Newsom as City Administrator, overseeing departments that included the San Francisco Police Department, the San Francisco Fire Department, SFMTA, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. His work intersected with urban development projects such as the Transbay Transit Center, the Chase Center negotiations, and affordable housing initiatives connected to organizations like Mercy Housing and MidPen Housing. Lee interacted with leaders across institutions including San Francisco Unified School District, San Francisco International Airport, and the Port of San Francisco.

2011 appointment and mayoralty

In January 2011, following Gavin Newsom's election as Lieutenant Governor of California, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors appointed Lee as interim mayor. Key political figures involved in his appointment included Aaron Peskin, Jane Kim, David Campos, and Mark Farrell. Lee subsequently won election to a full term in 2011 and reelection in 2015, campaigning against opponents such as John Avalos, Mark Leno, and Boeddeker Street Shelter advocates. His mayoralty coincided with the expansion of companies like Google, Apple Inc., Facebook, Twitter, Uber Technologies, Inc., Airbnb, Salesforce, LinkedIn, and Dropbox into the Bay Area, which influenced municipal policy debates involving the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, California Public Utilities Commission, and regional bodies like the Association of Bay Area Governments.

Policies and initiatives

Lee prioritized initiatives addressing housing, transportation, and public safety. He supported the construction of workforce housing projects with partners such as Tishman Speyer, The Related Companies, BRIDGE Housing, and Pan American Development Corporation. Transportation efforts included support for the Central Subway project, engagement with BART on system upgrades, modernization of the San Francisco Municipal Railway and negotiations over MUNI reforms. He backed tech and innovation ecosystem development tied to institutions like UCSF, Stanford University, San Francisco State University, and City College of San Francisco. Public health and safety measures under Lee involved collaborations with San Francisco General Hospital, the San Francisco Department of Public Health, and harm reduction groups such as San Francisco AIDS Foundation and Shanti Project. He advanced economic development programs aimed at small businesses in neighborhoods like Outer Sunset, Mission District, Tenderloin, and SoMa.

Controversies and criticism

Lee's administration faced criticism over housing affordability, displacement, and homelessness amid the Bay Area's tech-driven growth. Activists and supervisors such as Chesa Boudin, London Breed, Jane Kim, and Matt Haney debated policies around rent control, the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, and inclusionary zoning measures. Lee's support for concessions to tech companies drew scrutiny from groups including Anti-Eviction Mapping Project, Desiree Fairooz, and Housing Rights Committee of San Francisco. Controversies also involved dealings with developers like Hunters Point Shipyard contractors, union negotiations with Service Employees International Union Local 87, and enforcement responses to protests linked to national movements such as Occupy Wall Street and local demonstrations at Union Square and City Hall. Investigations and reporting by outlets including San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and The New York Times examined campaign contributions from corporate donors including Salesforce.com and tech executives.

Personal life and death

Lee was married to Anita Lam and had two daughters. He practiced Buddhism and participated in cultural events with organizations such as the Chinese Historical Society of America and the Asian Pacific Islander Cultural Center. Lee died suddenly on December 12, 2017, while in office, prompting statements from national figures including President Donald Trump, California Governor Jerry Brown, Nancy Pelosi, and regional leaders like Gavin Newsom and London Breed. His death led to a succession process in which the San Francisco Board of Supervisors appointed acting leadership and ultimately saw London Breed become mayor.

Category:Mayors of San Francisco Category:American politicians of Chinese descent Category:1952 births Category:2017 deaths