El Franco Lee

El Franco Lee (January 30, 1949 – January 3, 2016) was an American politician who served as a Harris County commissioner from 1985 to his death in 2016. Before becoming a county commissioner, he served as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985.

El Franco Lee
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 142nd district
88th district (1979–1983)
In office
January 9, 1979 – January 8, 1985
Preceded byMickey Leland
Succeeded byHarold Dutton Jr.
Personal details
Born(1949-01-30)January 30, 1949
Houston, Texas, US
DiedJanuary 3, 2016(2016-01-03) (aged 66)
Houston, Texas, US
Political partyDemocratic
EducationTexas Southern University (BS)

Early life

Lee was born in Houston, Texas, on January 30, 1949 to Robert and Selma Lee. He had one younger sibling and three older siblings.[1] After graduating from Phillis Wheatley High School, Lee earned a Bachelor of Science from Texas Southern University.[2]

Career

Texas House of Representatives

Lee ran for office in the 88th district of the Texas House of Representatives in 1978. The 88th district was being vacated by Mickey Leland, under whom Lee served as an aide for six years.[3] Lee, who was endorsed by the United Steelworkers,[4] was initially disqualified from the ballot due to having an insufficient number of verifiable signatures for his nominating petition.[5] After a ruling by district judge Jim Wallace, Lee was allowed to remain on the ballot after paying a $400 fee.[6] He defeated Norma Watson in the Democratic primary after a runoff election.[7][8] Lee, who was running unopposed, won the general election in November.[9][10]

During his tenure as a state legislator, Lee served on the Business and Industry, Intergovernmental Affairs, Ways and Means, Environmental Affairs, and Elections committees.[11]

Harris County Commissioner

In January 1984, Lee announced he would not seek re-election to the Texas House and instead seek the position of Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 1.[12] Lee's primary challengers included Carl Walker Jr. and Sylvester Turner.[13] Lee defeated Walker after a runoff election. Because the Republican Republican Party did not field any candidates for the position, Lee's victory in the runoff ensured him of the post. As a result, Lee became the first African-American member of Harris County's governing body.[14]

Lee served in this position for over 30 years until his death in 2016.[15]

Death

Lee died of a myocardial infarction on January 3, 2016 at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital, in Houston, Texas.[16][17]

Legacy
El Franco Lee Park

In 1990, the local communities around Hall Road Park in Houston successfully petitioned to rename the park as El Franco Lee Park.[1][18] In May 2009, the Harris County Hospital District opened the El Franco Lee Health Center in Alief, Houston.[19][20]

References
  1. Cain, Adrienne A. "Lee, El Franco". Texas State Historical Association. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  2. "About Commissioner El Franco Lee". Harris County Precinct 1. October 23, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  3. Barlow, Jim (April 19, 1978). "6 Dist. 88 candidates counting on person-to-person campaigns". Houston Chronicle. p. 10 – via NewsBank.
  4. Kling, John (March 31, 1978). "United Steelworkers' backing goes to Leland". Houston Chronicle. p. 5 – via NewsBank.
  5. "3 Democratic candidates are out of the primary". Houston Chronicle. March 16, 1978. p. 2 – via NewsBank.
  6. "Judge says ballot may include Lee". Houston Chronicle. March 30, 1978. p. 2 – via NewsBank.
  7. "Results Of Contested State Legislature Races". Longview News-Journal. Associated Press. May 8, 1978. p. 21. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. Jones, Lee (June 4, 1978). "Vale, Short capture nominations". Austin American-Statesman. Associated Press. p. 5. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. Moran, Tom (May 8, 1978). "Runoff will determine 2 Dem nominees for state representative". Houston Chronicle. p. 14 – via NewsBank.
  10. "Texas Senate, House Winners". The Brownsville Herald. Associated Press. November 8, 1978. p. 48. Retrieved December 4, 2020 – via NewspaperArchive.
  11. "El Franco Lee". Legislative Reference Library of Texas. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  12. "State Rep. El Franco Lee files in Commissioners Court race". Houston Chronicle. January 18, 1984. p. 13 – via NewsBank.
  13. Foxhall, Nene (May 7, 1984). "Open races draw crowded fields in Dem, GOP primaries". Houston Chronicle. p. 8 – via NewsBank.
  14. Hunter, Gordon (June 3, 1984). "Lee wins commissioner's seat". Houston Chronicle. p. 30 – via NewsBank.
  15. Zaveri, Mihir (December 23, 2016). "El Franco Lee". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  16. Martinez, Jonathan; Green, Alex (January 3, 2016). "Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee dies". KPRC. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  17. "Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee dies of heart attack". ABC13 Houston. January 4, 2016. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  18. "El Franco Lee Park". Harris County Precinct 1. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  19. Baltimore, Chris (July 30, 2009). "Healthcare reform looms large in Texas". Reuters. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
  20. Ackerman, Todd (August 23, 2009). "Harris County faces tough sell in hospital purchase". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved December 4, 2020.
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