Barbara Lee

Barbara Jean Lee (née Tutt; born July 16, 1946) is an American politician who has served as the 52nd mayor of Oakland since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, Lee previously served as a U.S. representative from California from 1998 to 2025, representing California's 12th congressional district (numbered as the 9th district from 1998 to 2013 and as the 13th district from 2013 to 2023). She also served in both houses of the California State Legislature from 1990 to 1998. Born and raised in Texas, Lee was educated at Mills College and the University of California, Berkeley. She started her career by working on the presidential campaign of Shirley Chisholm and was later involved with the Black Panther Party. After working as chief of staff for U.S. Representative Ron Dellums, Lee served in the California State Assembly from 1990 to 1996 and in the California State Senate from 1996 to 1998. Lee was elected to the House of Representatives in a 1998 special election to succeed Dellums. Her district was based in Oakland and covered most of the northern part of Alameda County; with a Cook Partisan Voting Index rating of D+40, it was one of the most Democratic districts in the country…

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