One of the newest legislators elected to the California State Assembly is making history. At 25 years old, Alex Lee, a Democrat from San Jose, will be the youngest state lawmaker to take office for more than 80 years. But, Lee will also be a voice for diversity and inclusion as an Asian-American and member of the LGBTQ community.

Mr. Lee joined us on LA Times Today to talk about his historic political victory.

Lee represents Assembly District 25, which encompasses five cities in the East and South Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area.

"It's quite a historic win for me, but it also reflects the district which is so diverse ethnically. My District also runs on the younger side; the voter turnout just a day before the election, we had a 53% turnout for voters between 18 and 34. So, we're encouraged by this historic victory, and I hope to represent my district very well," said Lee.

Even though he is the state's youngest legislator, this isn't Lee's first governmental job; he's experienced working for other politicians.

"I had worked for State Senator Henry Stern as a legislative policy analyst. So I helped him advise on bills, vote recommendations, and draft and write bills that ultimately did get signed by the governor. I also worked for Assemblymember Evan Low, who's also representing the Bay Area, and I learned from both members how important it is to have compassionate people who are pushing legislation, especially in this era of immense challenges," added Lee.

While in university, Lee was also involved in politics.

"During my time at UC Davis, where I was a student, I was the student body president in a very tumultuous time, especially when tuition hikes came back. Right now, I think every California student understands how expensive it is to get a college education. Making the college system in California, whether it's UC, Cal States, or community college tuition-free, is a huge priority for me going into office," said Lee.

"But, I think the most pressing thing that any young person, any new family, and even older families can understand is the high housing cost in the Bay Area and California. It is way too expensive to live in the communities we grew up in. So, housing affordability is going to be a top priority for me, and it is a huge concern for the entire district."

Lee is the first openly bisexual state legislator in California's history.

"It is going to be very important for me to fight for inclusivity and equality across the state and in America. We often see homophobia and transphobia too commonly tolerated in this country, and it is going to be important to me to combat the hatred with education and more tolerance. We need to be educating our young people, and our older generations about the way we're accepting someone's gender identity and sexuality," added Lee.

"We're already in the phase of putting together a team in our legislative agenda for the coming session. But my first bill on December 7 will be to take corporate money out of politics. It's quite surreal to always be in the room with so many legislators who are minor celebrities, especially when I was a staffer in the State Capital," said Lee.

"Now, I am one of their colleagues, which is incredible. I am less than half the average age of the assembly, so that will be quite interesting. But I appreciate our intergenerational approach because we all represent diverse communities and political viewpoints, and having that diversity only makes it stronger."