Culver City Vice Mayor Daniel Lee, has entered the race to fill the State Senate seat vacated by new County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell in California District 30.
Lee became the first African-American Member of the Culver City Council in its over 100 year history in 2018. A veteran of the US Air Force and California Air National Guard, he currently works as Project Director at the James Lawson Institute Daniel has a Master’s Degree in Social Welfare from UCLA and is a doctoral candidate at USC. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Move to Amend, the Backbone Campaign, Mockingbird Incubator and the Clean Power Alliance.
As a Council Member, Lee has championed mental health, police accountability and very notably worked to close the Inglewood Oil Field. Lee worked on this effort prior to his election with the Sierra Club’s Clean Break Subcommittee. As a passionate environmental advocate Lee will work to accelerate the sore needed “Just Transition” away from Fossil Fuels using innovative strategies that don’t leave workers in the lurch and provide for good union jobs.
Lee also worked to help Culver City pass, and recently successfully defend, its rent control policy. At the state level Daniel will work for increased renter protections, the repeal of Costa Hawkins and the acceleration of housing production in a manner that incorporates community concerns around affordability, gentrification and displacement. Specifically, Lee’s campaign platform also includes a push for Healthcare and Housing for All, Public Health as Public Safety, addressing Environmental Racism & the Climate Crisis, Public Pension Reform and divestment from corporate landlords through the Divest from Displacement campaign and People Centered Economic Development.
The campaign’s kickoff event will be tonight at 6:30pm via Zoom. Register here. Daniel will be joined by singer and multiinstrumentalist Aloe Blacc, Burbank City Council Member Konstantine Anthony, President of the Board of Directors of Downtown Crenshaw Rising Niki Okuk, Former LA City Controller Rick Tuttle, Chair of the Culver City Equity and Human Relations Advisory Committee Rebecca Rona Tuttle and Found of the Burbank Tenant Rights Committee Margo Rowder.
Lee’s early endorsements include Civil Rights Legend Rev. James Lawson, the Southern California Chapter of Americans for Democratic Action, Burbank City Council Member Konstantine Anthony, The President of the Board of Directors of Downtown Crenshaw Rising Niki Okuk and others.
