A member of the Democratic Party, Lee's district includes Fremont, Newark, Sunol, Milpitas, and parts of western San Jose.

[7] After his parents divorced, Lee lived alternately with his father in Milpitas and his mother in North San Jose.

He became interested in filmmaking and eventually decided to pursue a dual degree in political science and communications at the University of California, Davis.

While attending college, Lee was an intern for several politicians including Mike Honda, Ed Chau, Evan Low, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry, and Kansen Chu.

[11][8] On his first day in office, Lee introduced a bill that would ban corporate donations to political candidates.

[2][20][21] Lee has expressed support for a land-value tax as a potential way to increase housing supply and reduce inequality.