Marqueece Harris-Dawson

Marqueece L. Harris-Dawson (born November 7, 1969) is an American politician who currently represents the 8th district of the Los Angeles City Council since 2015.

Early life and education
Harris-Dawson was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles to William Dawson, minister, and Cheryl Dawson, a clerk. He grew up in South Los Angeles during the crack cocaine epidemic. His family moved from their neighborhood to protect their children from police and gang violence.

Harris-Dawson graduated from Morehouse College with a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Mathematics. He holds a certificate in non-profit management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, and is an Aspen Institute Pahara Fellow.

Los Angeles City Council


Harris-Dawson was unanimously elected as President pro tempore of the City Council on June 20, 2023 after a scandal from Curren Price made Price resign from the office.

Elections


In the primary election for District 8 in 2015, Harris-Dawson received over 62% of the vote for the vacant seat. Because Harris-Dawson won outright, a general election for District 8 was not needed. Term limits forced Bernard C. Parks, Harris-Dawson's predecessor since 2004, out of office.

Position on housing
In 2020, Harris-Dawson introduced a motion calling for stricter zoning rules so as to limit student housing in Exposition Park and University Park. He called for an investigation into a perceived overabundance of student housing developments.

In 2022, he expressed support for the discretionary permit system in Los Angeles that gives City Council members discretionary power over land-use decisions.

In 2016, Harris-Dawson co-authored Proposition HHH, a $1.2 billion bond measure to build permanent supportive housing for homeless people and people at risk of becoming homeless. The measure appeared on the November 2016 municipal ballot and passed, with voters approving the measure 77% to 23%.

Obstructing the Ethics Commission
In 2023, Harris-Dawson voted to block Jamie York, a nominee for the Ethics Commission. In doing so, Harris-Dawson prevented Ethics Commission from doing its work, which included enforcement of campaign finance, contracting, lobbying and conflict of interest laws. At the time, the LA City Council had been embroiled in numerous ethics scandals. Harris-Dawson did not explain his vote.