Larry Lee Jr. (born October 20, 1953) is a Democratic politician and a former member of the

Florida House of Representatives The Florida House of Representatives is the lower house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida, the Florida Senate being the upper house. Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of Florida, adopted ...

, representing the 84th District, which includes eastern

St. Lucie County St. Lucie County ( es, Condado de Santa Lucía, link=) is a county in the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 329,226. The county's seat is Fort Pierce. St. Lucie County is included in the Port St. Lucie, FL Metro ...

, from 2012 to 2018.

History

Lee was born in Statesboro, Georgia, and later moved to the state of Florida, where he graduated from Fort Pierce Central High School in 1972, and then attended

Livingstone College Livingstone College is a private, historically black Christian college in Salisbury, North Carolina. It is affiliated with the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Livingstone College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Sout ...

Salisbury, North Carolina Salisbury is a city in the Piedmont region of North Carolina, United States; it has been the county seat of Rowan County since 1753 when its territory extended to the Mississippi River. Located northeast of Charlotte and within its metropolita ...

, where he graduated with a degree in health and physical education in 1976. Following graduation, he moved back to Florida and worked as an insurance agent, eventually starting a small business that provides

State Farm Insurance State Farm Insurance is a large group of mutual insurance companies throughout the United States with corporate headquarters in Bloomington, Illinois. Overview State Farm is the largest property and casualty insurance provider, and the lar ...

Florida House of Representatives

In 2012, after the

districts were redrawn, Lee opted to run in the newly created 84th District. He faced

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

Adam Fetterman Adam Fetterman (born October 16, 1970) is an attorney and Democratic Party politician in Palm City, Florida, who served as the representative for District 81 of the Florida House of Representatives from 2008–2009. Fetterman was born in New Ro ...

and teacher Kevin Stinnette in the Democratic primary, whom he was able to defeat with 53% of the vote. In the general election, Lee faced Michelle Miller, the Republican nominee. Though the race was hotly contested, he emphasized the need for a positive campaign, declaring, "I think my opponent is a wonderful person, and that's all I'd like to say about her," emphasizing the fact that the two were friends. Throughout the course of the campaign, Lee outraised Miller, raising $170,000, nearly twice what Miller raised in her campaign. He campaigned on his history of working with people of both parties, emphasizing that he would do it in the legislature, noting, "All this partisanship and bickering has got to cease." Ultimately, Lee defeated Miller with 52% of the vote, winning his first term in the House. During his time in the legislature, Lee worked with

State Senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Joe Negron to protect the

Indian River Lagoon The Indian River Lagoon is a grouping of three lagoons: the Mosquito Lagoon, the Banana River, and the Indian River, on the Atlantic Coast of Florida; one of the most biodiverse estuaries in the Northern Hemisphere and is home to more than 4,300 ...

, working with Negron to try to secure $230 million to protect the region, and joined

Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives The speaker is the presiding member of the Florida House of Representatives. The Speaker and his staff provide direction and coordination to employees throughout the House and serve the members in carrying out their constitutional responsibilitie ...

Will Weatherford Will Weatherford (born November 14, 1979) is an American politician who was a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives from 2006 to 2014, representing the 61st District from 2006 to 2012 and the 38th District, which included east ...

and Negron when they toured the Lagoon and Lake Okeechobee to see how the United States Army Corps of Engineers releases polluted water runoff from the Lake into the canals leading to the Lagoon. Additionally, Lee sponsored legislation that aimed to promote youth literacy in two- and three-year-olds, arguing, "Literacy is the key to all learning. If a child can't read, then their chance of succeeding in life and graduating from high school decreases dramatically. This bill gives them a jump start in the area of literacy."

References

External links

Florida House of Representatives – Larry Lee Jr.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Larry Jr. 1953 births Living people Members of the Florida House of Representatives 21st-century American legislators 21st-century Florida politicians