Biography

Assemblymember  Grace Lee

Assemblymember Grace Lee represents the incredibly diverse 65th Assembly District in Lower Manhattan, including the Financial District, Chinatown, and the Lower East Side.

A daughter of immigrants, Assemblymember Lee is the first Korean American woman ever elected to the New York State Legislature. She serves as Chair of the Assembly’s Asian Pacific American Task Force.

Recognized by City & State as “a rising star in the Democratic Party.” Assemblymember Lee has built a strong legislative record since taking office in 2023.

In her first year, Assemblymember Lee led the fight to secure over $400 million through ERAP to stabilize NYCHA developments, working alongside public housing residents, and tenant leaders across the state, rallying to get critical resources into our communities.

A leading voice against hate, Assemblymember Lee sponsored and passed the Hate Crimes Modernization Act—the first update to New York’s hate crimes laws in more than two decades—and advanced reforms to hold social media companies accountable for hate and harassment.

Assemblymember Lee is an outspoken advocate for survivors of abuse and a voice advancing women’s rights. In 2023, Assemblymember Lee publicly called out Columbia University’s systemic failures that enabled the abuse committed by ex-OBGYN Robert Hadden, and pushed the institution to notify former patients and launch an internal investigation. This past session, she introduced the STOP Act to restore public trust and confront the culture of impunity that protected Andrew Cuomo and other powerful actors for too long.

Assemblymember Lee has fought for inclusion in New York State. She led the effort to pass legislation making New York the first state in the country to recognize Lunar New Year as a statewide school holiday. As Chair of the Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force, she also launched the first-ever AAPI Legislative Caucus Weekend to expand the caucus’s visibility and institutional capacity alongside other major legislative caucus groups.

Assemblymember Lee lives in Lower Manhattan with her husband and three young daughters. She received her BA from Columbia University and her MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

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Assemblymember Grace Lee’s Statement on Columbia University’s External Investigation Report on Robert Hadden

“Survivors have waited decades for the truth, and this report does not deliver the transparency or accountability they deserve. After more than two years, the findings read less like a full investigation and more like a book report – largely summarizing...

AAPI Equity Budget Coalition and Assemblymember Grace Lee and Senator John Liu Rally in Support of Funding New York State’s AAPI Communities on Million Dollar Staircase

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Albany, NY – Today, over 100 advocates, service providers, and community leaders from the AAPI-led and -serving community-based organizations from the AAPI Equity Budget Coalition (EBC) rallied in front of Capitol’s Million Dollar Staircase in support...

New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force Chair Grace Lee and Assemblymember Nily Rozic Present $589,061 to South Asian Community in Queens

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Queens, NY – On Monday, the New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American (APA) Task Force Chair Assemblymember Grace Lee and Assemblymember Nily Rozic announced $589,061 in state funding for the South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS), a leading...

New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force Chair Grace Lee and Assemblymember Steve Stern Present $10,000 to Pakistani Americans of Town of Huntington

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Huntington, NY – On Monday, the New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American (APA) Task Force Chair Assemblymember Grace Lee and Assemblymember Steve Stern announced $10,000 in state funding for Pakistani Americans of Town of Huntington (PATH). This...

Assemblymember Grace Lee and Vision Urbana Ease Holiday Food Insecurity, Host 7th Annual Turkey Drive on the Lower East Side

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Lower East Side, NY – On Saturday, Assemblymember Grace Lee and Vision Urbana launched their 7th annual turkey drive on the Lower East Side. For seven years running, Assemblymember Lee and Vision Urbana have organized the largest annual turkey drive...

New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American Task Force Chair Grace Lee, Assemblymember William Colton, and Senator John Liu Present $251,680 to United Chinese Association of Brooklyn at Annual Gala

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Brooklyn, NY — On Thursday, the New York State Assembly Asian Pacific American (APA) Task Force Chair Assemblymember Grace Lee, Assemblymember William Colton, and State Senator John Liu announced $251,680 in state funding for United Chinese Association...
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