Chris and his sister were adopted by local residents Gary and Connie Lee. As a boy he played in the sand at Kailua beach, learned to bodyboard at Bellows, and paddled in Waikiki. Chris grew up in a small house behind Lanikai Elementary School, where his family still resides today.
The Lee family traces their roots back to the plantations. In 1940 Chris’ grandfather earned a job as a pipe-fitter at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, and his grandmother worked as a nurse at Queen’s Hospital. Growing up after the war, Chris’ dad stacked cans of pineapple at Dole Cannery before finding work at an insurance company. He and Chris’ mom, a secretary downtown, worked long hours to earn the tuition to send Chris to Iolani.
“I can’t begin to thank my parents for the education they worked so hard to give me. Our family has come a long way, and I couldn’t have come this far without them.”
Long before he ever had to manage his own staff at the Legislature, Chris’ first job was working the grill at the Enchanted Lake McDonald’s. He went on to haul baggage for Hawaiian Airlines, and then left for college at Oregon State University where he majored in Political Science.
“Going away to college was a fantastic experience. It’s hard to appreciate what we have here in Hawai’i until we live somewhere else. I think having that bigger perspective really provides a better understanding of the global issues that affect us here in the islands.”
When he returned home from college, Chris chose to work in State Government to help make Hawai’i an easier place to live and raise a family.
“Working in the Legislature has been a fantastic experience. My very first day I found myself questioning the First Deputy Attorney General about the exploitation of youth at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility in Olomana. It turned into a full-scale investigation of abuse and corruption at the facility that I was proud to be a part of.”
When our local House Seat opened up, Chris jumped at the chance to really do something positive to change the direction the state is heading.
“Even though many of my friends have good jobs as teachers, doctors, and small business owners, we all still struggle with the high cost of living. The high price of paradise and lack of good jobs has to change if we are going to stop the exodus of talent from the islands, and give our kids a chance to find work and raise their own families in Hawai’i. We have to start addressing these issues, and it begins with new leadership and direction in our State Government.”
Today Chris continues to dissect state policy and push his colleagues to think outside the box and beyond the end of their two and four year terms. He volunteers 
his time working with community non-profits, coordinates community projects, and participates in our neighborhood boards.
“I love being involved and being able to make a real difference. Whether it’s working to create new jobs, helping our kids prepare themselves for a real future, or charting a new direction for Hawai’i at the State Capitol, this is our home, and I want to make it the best it can be.”
