Brian Lees
Encyclopedia
Brian Patrick Lees is a Massachusetts
politician, currently serving as the Clerk of Courts for Hampden County
. Until 2007, he had been the State Senator
from the First Hampden and Hampshire District and the Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader.
Lees represented the Massachusetts communities of Springfield
, East Longmeadow
, Hampden
, Longmeadow
, Ludlow
and Wilbraham
, in the county of Hampden
; and Belchertown
and Granby
, in the county of Hampshire
.
(class of 1971) and graduated in Bachelor of Business Administration from Salem State College
in 1975. Lees was an executive with MeadWestvaco
Corporation.
Brian Lees is married to Nancy and they reside in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
.
In 1986 Lees ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress against Congressman Edward Boland
, (D), Springfield. Two years later he won an upset victory over Springfield City Council President Frank Keough for the State Senate. Lees survived re-election in 1990 in a race against Democrat Edward Ryan and in 1992 against Timothy Rooke. Lees did not face serious competition after 1992 and had been unopposed in his two previous elections before deciding to retire in 2006.
The leader of the Massachusetts Republican
caucus since 1993, Lees was just one of six Republicans in the State Senate in his final term, which is made up of forty senators.
and tends to vote with the gun lobby.
Within the walls of the State House, Lees is known as a consensus builder by creating and sustaining debate in the Senate chamber. Lees was instrumental in the installation of television cameras inside the Senate chamber, so that the proceedings could be viewed by the public.
His yearly "Senior Forum" event drew large crowds of senior citizens.
Upon deciding to not seek reelection to the State Senate, speculation in Springfield and its suburbs grew over Lees' next move. He had suggested moving into Springfield proper and run for mayor. Ultimately, he ran for Clerk of Courts as a write-in during for the Republican primary. He went on to win the general election in November.
, Springfield Library and Museums Association, Bright Side, and trustee of Willie Ross School for the Deaf
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
politician, currently serving as the Clerk of Courts for Hampden County
Hampden County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 per square mile...
. Until 2007, he had been the State Senator
Massachusetts Senate
The Massachusetts Senate is the upper house of the Massachusetts General Court, the bicameral state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Senate comprises 40 elected members from 40 single-member senatorial districts in the state...
from the First Hampden and Hampshire District and the Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader.
Lees represented the Massachusetts communities of Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, East Longmeadow
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2010, there were 16,187 people, 5,248 households, and 3,988 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,087.1 people per square mile . There were 5,363 housing units at an average density of 413.5 per square mile...
, Hampden
Hampden, Massachusetts
-Transportation:Hampden is one of sixteen towns in Massachusetts that has no numbered highways or state routes. Of these, half are on the islands, and one is the North Shore town of Nahant. Of the rest, Hampden is the easternmost town to have this distinction. In fact, the town does not even have...
, Longmeadow
Longmeadow, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 15,633 people, 5,734 households, and 4,432 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,879 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.42% White, 0.69% African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.90%...
, Ludlow
Ludlow, Massachusetts
Ludlow is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 21,103 as of the 2010 census. It is located in western Massachusetts, north of Springfield, east of Chicopee, southeast of Granby, southwest of Belchertown, west of Wilbraham and is considered part of the...
and Wilbraham
Wilbraham, Massachusetts
Wilbraham is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. It is also a suburb of the City of Springfield, Massachusetts and part of the Springfield Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,868 at the 2010 census...
, in the county of Hampden
Hampden County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2004, there were 461,228 people, 175,288 households, and 115,690 families residing in the county. The population density was 738 people per square mile . There were 185,876 housing units at an average density of 301 per square mile...
; and Belchertown
Belchertown, Massachusetts
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,968 people, 4,886 households, and 3,517 families residing in the town. The population density was 245.9 people per square mile . There were 5,050 housing units at an average density of 95.8 per square mile...
and Granby
Granby, Massachusetts
Granby is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,420 at the 2010 census.It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.Part of the town is comprised in the census-designated place of Granby....
, in the county of Hampshire
Hampshire County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 152,251 people, 55,991 households, and 33,818 families residing in the county. The population density was 288 people per square mile . There were 58,644 housing units at an average density of 111 per square mile...
.
Biography
Lees attended Amesbury High SchoolAmesbury High School
Amesbury High School is a coeducational preparatory school in the city of Amesbury, Massachusetts, drawing students from Amesbury, South Hampton, New Hampshire, and other parts of the Merrimack River Valley region....
(class of 1971) and graduated in Bachelor of Business Administration from Salem State College
Salem State College
Salem State University is a four-year public institution of higher learning located in Salem, Massachusetts. Salem State University, established in 1854 as Salem Normal School, is located approximately fifteen miles north of Boston, Massachusetts. Salem State enrolls over 10,000 undergraduate and...
in 1975. Lees was an executive with MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco
MeadWestvaco Corp. is an American packaging solutions company based in Richmond, Virginia. It has approximately 23,000 employees. In February 2006, it moved its corporate headquarters to Richmond, Virginia...
Corporation.
Brian Lees is married to Nancy and they reside in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts.
Political life
Early in his career, he served as Staff Assistant to U.S. Senator Edward W. BrookeEdward Brooke
Edward William Brooke, III is an American politician and was elected to the United States Senate as a Republican from Massachusetts in 1966, defeating his Democratic opponent, Endicott Peabody, 60.7%–38.7%...
.
In 1986 Lees ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress against Congressman Edward Boland
Edward Boland
Edward Patrick Boland was a politician from the state of Massachusetts. A Democrat, he was a representative from Massachusetts's 2nd congressional district....
, (D), Springfield. Two years later he won an upset victory over Springfield City Council President Frank Keough for the State Senate. Lees survived re-election in 1990 in a race against Democrat Edward Ryan and in 1992 against Timothy Rooke. Lees did not face serious competition after 1992 and had been unopposed in his two previous elections before deciding to retire in 2006.
The leader of the Massachusetts Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
caucus since 1993, Lees was just one of six Republicans in the State Senate in his final term, which is made up of forty senators.
Political alignment
A fiscal conservative and social moderate, Lees is considered pro-choicePro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
and tends to vote with the gun lobby.
Within the walls of the State House, Lees is known as a consensus builder by creating and sustaining debate in the Senate chamber. Lees was instrumental in the installation of television cameras inside the Senate chamber, so that the proceedings could be viewed by the public.
His yearly "Senior Forum" event drew large crowds of senior citizens.
Committee memberships
Lees served on the Senate committee on Ethics & Rules, The Judiciary Committee, The Telecommunication Committee, Utilities & Energy Committee and the Tourism, Arts & Cultural Development Committee.Future moves
He is not seeking a 10th term in the Senate and has endorsed his staffer, Jack Villamaino, a Republican candidate, to replace him in the Senate.Upon deciding to not seek reelection to the State Senate, speculation in Springfield and its suburbs grew over Lees' next move. He had suggested moving into Springfield proper and run for mayor. Ultimately, he ran for Clerk of Courts as a write-in during for the Republican primary. He went on to win the general election in November.
Others
He is listed as being Corporator at Springfield YMCAYMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, Springfield Library and Museums Association, Bright Side, and trustee of Willie Ross School for the Deaf