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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| <- |
2005-01-01 |
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| Name | Harry Lee |
| Address | 1233 Westbank Expressway
Harvey, Louisiana 70058, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
August 27, 1932
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| Died | October 01, 2007
(75 years)
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| Contributor | Not in Public Domain |
| Last Modifed | David
Aug 27, 2021 06:31pm |
| Tags |
Asian - Married - Cancer - Air Force - Catholic - Straight -
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| Info | Background
Harry Lee is currently Sheriff of Jefferson Parish. The JPSO is the second-largest police department in the state. Lee is in his fourth term as Sheriff. Since his election he has received little to no opposition during each of his re-election campaigns. Lee gained national recognition in 1990 when he announced that any black people driving "rinky-dink" automobiles through predominantly-white neighborhoods in Jefferson Parish would be stopped and interrogated.
As a crime fighter, Lee's record is mixed. While violent crime statistics stay low for a suburban area, Lee's department has the dubious distinction of being second in the nation in police brutality and civil rights complaints that have been investigated by the FBI. It's hard to find someone ambivalent on the subject of Harry Lee--he's regarded as either a racist or a crime-fighting hero. Lee is an attorney, not a cop. He is considered to be a strong political insider and a close friend of Governor Edwin Edwards.
Platform
Lee has taken a strong anti-crime stance, but is short on specifics on issues other than crime. Lee regularly insists that crime is the most important issue in the campaign, so important that his answers on other issues are not relavent. Lee is strongly pro-gambling (he is the only candidate who has publicly stated he will accept contributions from gaming interests), and has taken no public position on abortion, other than saying he will sign any abortion-related bill the legislature sends to him.
Quote from the 1995 Governor Forum
"I don't know how to catch crooks, but I surround myself with people who know how to catch crooks."
Commentary/Analysis by Ed Branley (From 1995 Governor's Race)
You've got to give it to Harry Lee for sheer audacity. He's the only law enforcement official in the state who can get up on TV and admit that he doesn't know how to catch a crook. What makes this statement so amazing is that he would probably be re-elected unopposed were he to run for his current job again. The man's personal polularity amongst the "white flight" mentality of the Jefferson Parish electorate is extraordinary. And he knows how to play that popularity to its fullest. Like clockwork, about a year before he comes up for re-election, Harry calls a press conferenceand announces that he's going to run black folks from the city of New Orleans back to their side of the boundary betweenthe city and Jefferson Parish. It makes Pat Buchannan's proposal for a moat between California and Mexico almost reasonable.
Then there's Harry the law-enforcement administrator. His deputies have the second-highest number of complaints against them for brutality in the nation. A long-time NRA supporter, Lee regularly gave away confiscated weapons to political supporters and friends. He has tried three times in the last four years to pass a tax increase to fund a new jail, and has been soundly defeated each time. He is regularly criticized by the business community for failing to release a budget for the Sheriff's Office. In response to questions from businessmen during this campaign about the JPSO's budget, he told them point-blank that that was "his money," and "nobody is going to tell me how to spend my money."
But let's not forget Harry Lee the politician. While his public persona is that of a shoot-from-the-hip lawman, Lee is a lawyer and high-power political player. One of his closest friends is Gov. Edwards. During the '91 campaign, Lee had minimal opposition. That didn't stop him from spending thousands of dollars on TV ads featuring him and Edwin Edwards standing in front of the Superdome. In short, if you liked the people running the government under Edwin Edwards, you'll like Harry Lee's administration.
Does Lee have a chance? At first glance, you would think not. But what is visible is often not what is accurate, especially in Louisiana politics. Rumors of an alliance between Mayor Marc Morial of New Orleans and Harry Lee are an example of this. If Lee actually stays in the race and qualifies, look for strange things to happen.
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