Ed Lee

Ed Lee
Born	Edwin Mah Lee May 5, 1952
Birthplace	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Died	December 12, 2017 San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Politician, attorney, city administrator
Known for	43rd Mayor of San Francisco; first Asian American mayor of San Francisco
Education	University of California, Berkeley (JD)
Children	2

Edwin Mah Lee (May 5, 1952 – December 12, 2017) was an American politician and attorney who served as the 43rd Mayor of San Francisco from January 11, 2011, until his death on December 12, 2017. Born in Seattle, Washington, to Chinese American parents, Lee became the first Asian American to serve as mayor of San Francisco — a city with one of the largest Asian American populations in the United States. Before entering electoral politics, Lee built a career in civil rights law and municipal governance, serving as San Francisco's city administrator from 2005 to 2011. He was appointed mayor by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors following the resignation of Gavin Newsom, who left to become Lieutenant Governor of California. Lee won election to a full term in November 2011 and was reelected in 2015. His tenure was defined by a focus on housing construction, economic development during the technology boom, and the challenges of managing rapid growth and displacement in one of America's most expensive cities. Lee died of a cardiac arrest at the age of 65 while still in office, and was succeeded by London Breed.

Early Life

Edwin Mah Lee was born on May 5, 1952, in Seattle, Washington, to parents who had immigrated from China. He grew up in a working-class household in Seattle's housing projects. Lee was raised alongside his siblings in an environment where economic hardship shaped his understanding of public service and community needs. His upbringing in Seattle's diverse neighborhoods informed his later career in civil rights advocacy and municipal governance.

As the son of Chinese American immigrants, Lee experienced firsthand the challenges faced by immigrant communities in the Pacific Northwest. His family background instilled in him a commitment to public service and social justice that would guide his professional trajectory. Lee was a member of the Democratic Party throughout his political life.

Education

Lee attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. He subsequently enrolled at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, where he obtained his Juris Doctor degree. His legal education at Berkeley positioned him for a career in civil rights law and public interest advocacy in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Career

Early Legal Career and Civil Rights Work

After completing his legal education, Lee began his career as a civil rights attorney in San Francisco. He worked in the field of tenant rights and housing advocacy, areas that would remain central to his public service throughout his career. His work as a lawyer focused on protecting vulnerable communities, including immigrants and low-income residents, from displacement and discriminatory practices. This early legal work established Lee as a figure in San Francisco's progressive community and provided him with deep knowledge of the city's housing and land-use challenges.

City Administrator

Lee's transition from legal advocacy to municipal governance came through a series of positions within San Francisco's city government. He served in various capacities within the city's administrative apparatus before being appointed City Administrator of San Francisco on June 22, 2005. In this role, Lee oversaw the city's general services and administrative functions, managing a broad portfolio of municipal operations. He succeeded William Lee in the position and served as city administrator until January 11, 2011, when he was elevated to the mayoralty. His tenure as city administrator was characterized by a reputation for competent, non-ideological management of city services, which contributed to his selection as an interim mayor by the Board of Supervisors.

Appointment as Mayor

On November 2, 2010, Gavin Newsom was elected Lieutenant Governor of California, creating a vacancy in the San Francisco mayor's office upon his resignation. Under the San Francisco city charter, the Board of Supervisors held the authority to appoint an interim mayor to serve out the remainder of Newsom's term.

On January 11, 2011, the Board of Supervisors appointed Lee to serve as mayor. His selection was seen as a consensus choice; Lee was viewed as a competent administrator without strong ideological allegiances that might alienate factions on the Board. At the time of his appointment, Lee initially indicated that he did not plan to run for a full term in the November 2011 election, positioning himself as a caretaker mayor. However, Lee later reversed this position and entered the mayoral race.

His appointment made him the first Asian American to serve as mayor of San Francisco, a milestone of considerable significance in a city where Asian Americans constituted a substantial portion of the population.

2011 Mayoral Election

Despite his earlier statements suggesting he would not seek a full term, Lee entered the November 2011 mayoral election. Running in a ranked-choice voting system, Lee campaigned on a platform of continued economic development, job creation, and pragmatic governance. On November 8, 2011, Lee won the election, securing a full four-year term as mayor.

First Full Term (2012–2015)

Lee's first full term as mayor coincided with a period of rapid economic expansion in San Francisco, driven largely by the growth of the technology industry. The city attracted major technology companies and startups, leading to substantial job creation alongside significant increases in the cost of living and housing.

Technology Industry and Tax Policy

One of the more prominent and debated policies of Lee's administration was the so-called "Twitter tax break," formally known as the Central Market and Tenderloin Area Payroll Expense Tax Exclusion. The policy was designed to encourage technology companies to establish or maintain offices in San Francisco's mid-Market Street corridor, an area that had long experienced economic blight. Under the policy, qualifying companies received exclusions from the city's payroll expense tax. By 2015, reports indicated that companies had avoided approximately $34 million in city taxes through the program. Supporters argued the policy stimulated economic revitalization in a neglected neighborhood, while critics contended it amounted to a giveaway to wealthy corporations at the expense of city revenue.

Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi Suspension

A significant political event during Lee's first term was his decision to suspend Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi following Mirkarimi's conviction on a domestic violence-related misdemeanor charge in March 2012. Lee moved to remove Mirkarimi from office, citing official misconduct. The case proceeded through the San Francisco Ethics Commission, which held hearings on the matter. Ultimately, the Board of Supervisors voted on October 9, 2012, not to uphold Lee's suspension of Mirkarimi, and the sheriff was restored to his position. The episode was a notable political setback for Lee and highlighted tensions between the mayor's office and some members of the Board of Supervisors.

Housing Policy

Housing became a defining issue of Lee's tenure. As San Francisco experienced surging demand for housing driven by the technology boom, the city faced an acute shortage of available units, which contributed to rapidly escalating rents and home prices. Lee made the construction of new housing a central priority of his administration, committing to a goal of 5,000 new housing units annually — a target that represented a significant increase over prior construction levels. According to analysis published by Beyond Chron, Lee was described as the first mayor in San Francisco history to make building new housing a top priority, with his annual target more than doubling prior production levels.

2015 Reelection

Lee ran for reelection in November 2015 and won decisively, securing a second term as mayor. His reelection campaign emphasized the city's strong economy, job growth, and his administration's efforts to increase housing production. The Los Angeles Times reported on the broader political implications of the San Francisco election results.

Second Term and Final Years (2015–2017)

Lee's second term continued many of the themes of his first, including efforts to manage the city's growth, address the housing crisis, and navigate the political complexities of governing a city experiencing both economic prosperity and acute inequality. He continued to push for increased housing construction and worked on infrastructure and transportation initiatives.

Lee remained active in his role throughout 2017. On December 12, 2017, he died suddenly of a cardiac arrest at the age of 65. He was the first San Francisco mayor to die in office since George Moscone was assassinated in 1978. Following his death, Board of Supervisors President London Breed became acting mayor, and later won a special election to serve the remainder of Lee's term.

Lee was laid to rest at Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Personal Life

Lee was a member of the Democratic Party. He had two children. He lived in San Francisco throughout his tenure in city government. Lee was known for his understated personal style, often seen wearing a bow tie. His personal life remained largely private throughout his career in public service.

Lee died on December 12, 2017, in San Francisco, California, of cardiac arrest at the age of 65.

Recognition

Lee received recognition during his career for his contributions to public service and community leadership. The Coro Foundation honored Lee at its 16th Annual Leadership Luncheon, recognizing his work in municipal governance.

In December 2025, on the eighth anniversary of Lee's death, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled a bronze bust of Lee at San Francisco City Hall. The bust replaced one of former Mayor James Phelan, who had promoted anti-Chinese views during his political career. The ceremony was attended by Lee's family, friends, and former colleagues. The replacement of the Phelan bust with that of San Francisco's first Asian American mayor was noted as a symbolic act of historical reckoning.

Legacy

Lee's legacy in San Francisco is shaped by the intersection of the city's technology-fueled economic boom and the resulting affordability crisis that defined the 2010s. As the first Asian American mayor of San Francisco, his election and tenure represented a milestone for political representation in a city with a significant Asian American population. The installation of his bust at City Hall in 2025, replacing that of a mayor associated with anti-Chinese policies, underscored the symbolic significance of his service.

His emphasis on housing production left a lasting impact on the city's approach to the housing crisis. Beyond Chron characterized Lee as the first San Francisco mayor to make building new housing a top priority, noting that his commitment to 5,000 new units annually more than doubled prior production levels. This approach, which sought to address the housing shortage through increased supply, became a model for subsequent administrations grappling with similar challenges.

At the same time, Lee's tenure was marked by debates over the costs and benefits of the technology boom. The tax incentives his administration provided to technology companies generated both economic activity and controversy, as critics pointed to rising inequality and the displacement of longtime residents and small businesses. These tensions remain central to San Francisco's political discourse.

Lee's sudden death in office in December 2017 cut short his second term and led to a period of political transition. His passing elevated London Breed to the role of acting mayor, and she subsequently won the special election to complete his term, becoming the first African American woman to serve as mayor of San Francisco.

The unveiling of Lee's bust at City Hall on the eighth anniversary of his death, with Mayor Daniel Lurie and Lee's family in attendance, served as a formal acknowledgment of his contributions to the city.