Lee Harris

Lee Ardrey Harris (born August 10, 1978) is an American politician who currently serves as the Mayor of Shelby County, previously serving as a member of the Tennessee Senate, representing the 29th district. Harris is also a law professor. Prior to his election to the state senate, Harris represented District 7 on the Memphis City Council. He was born and raised in Memphis, and studied at Morehouse College, followed by Yale Law School.

In 2014, he was elected to the Tennessee Senate to replace Ophelia Ford. He was elected in November 2014 by the Democratic Senate Caucus of the Tennessee State Senate to the leadership position of Senate Minority Leader. He is the first black lawmaker of either party to hold a leadership position in the Tennessee State Senate. In 2018, Harris was the Democratic nominee for Mayor of Shelby County, defeating Republican David Lenoir. He was re-elected to a second term in 2022.

Early life and education Harris was born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He is the son of a retired high school guidance counselor and a heating and air conditioning repairman. He attended Memphis city schools, including Alcy Elementary School, John P. Freeman Middle School, and Overton High School. Harris attended Morehouse College on a full scholarship, graduating in 2000. While at Morehouse, Harris completed a one-year course of study at the London School of Economics. He graduated from Yale Law School in 2003.

Career

Harris began his legal career as an associate at Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, a Memphis law firm. In 2003, Harris began teaching at the University of Memphis, School of Law, attaining tenure in 2009. Harris teaches and publishes in the fields of corporate law.

In 2006, Harris unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. House of Representatives for Tennessee's 9th congressional district.

In 2011, Harris faced Kemba Ford in a runoff election for Memphis City Council. He won the race with more than 60% of the vote.

On April 3, 2014, Harris announced his intention to contest a Tennessee State Senate District 29 seat currently held by state Senator Ophelia Ford. Harris was elected to the seat and was sworn in in January 2015. He was elected by his colleagues in the Democratic Caucus of the Tennessee State Senate to be Senate Minority Leader for the session. He is the first black lawmaker of either party to hold a leadership position in the Tennessee State Senate. During his first term, Harris raised the minimum wage for Shelby County employees and oversaw the county's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also increased funding for early childhood education and created a paid parental leave program for county employees.

In September 2025, Harris expressed strong opposition to the planned deployment of National Guard federal forces to Memphis with semi-automatic weapons.

Books Corporations and Other Business Entities: a Practical Approach (2011) Mastering Corporations and Other Business Entities (1997)