Kimberly Yee

Kimberly Yee (born February 23, 1974) is an American politician who currently serves as the Arizona State Treasurer. She was previously a Republican member of the Arizona Senate representing District 20 from 2013 to 2019. Yee served consecutively in the Arizona State Legislature from January 10, 2011 until January 14, 2013 in the Arizona House of Representatives District 10 seat. She is the first Asian-American woman elected to the Arizona Legislature. On November 29, 2017, she announced her candidacy for the position of Arizona State Treasurer, and was elected to the position on November 6, 2018.

Yee attended Greenway High School where she was a student journalist at the Demon Dispatch in the early 1990s. Yee earned her bachelor's degrees in English and political science from Pepperdine University and her MA in public administration from Arizona State University.

Yee worked for California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger. She was then communications director at the office of the State Treasurer of Arizona. Upon the recommendation of Governor Jan Brewer, Yee was appointed by the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors to replace Republican Rep. Doug Quellan after he was ousted for violating Clean Election Limits.

Yee sponsored a bill that would make it illegal for minors to possess water smoking pipes (hookahs).

In 2012, Yee introduced HB 2838, a bill that would ban abortions of fetuses over 20 weeks old. While the bill had stalled in committee, Yee used a "strike-everything amendment" to reincarnate the proposed legislation as HB 2036. The bill passed the Arizona House and Senate and was signed into law on April 12, 2012.

In 2014, Yee blocked a study that would examine the treatment of PTSD with medical cannabis. The completion of the study is in question as the lead researcher, Dr. Sue Sisley, has been dismissed.

Yee was an invited speaker at the 2016 Republican National Convention.

Elections

• 2010 Challenging House District 10 incumbent Republican Representatives Doug Quelland and James Weiers in the four-way August 24, 2010 Republican Primary, Representative Weiers placed first, Yee placed second with 6,925 votes, and Representative Quelland placed third; in the November 2, 2010 General election, Yee took the first seat with 19,485 votes and Representative Weiers took the second seat ahead of Democratic nominees former Representative Jackie Thrasher and Aaron Jahneke.
• 2012 With Republican Senator John McComish redistricted to District 18, Yee was unopposed for the Senate District 20 August 28, 2012 Republican Primary, winning with 15,519 votes; and won the three-way November 6, 2012 General election with 37,371 votes against Democratic nominee Michael Powell and former Republican Representative Doug Quelland running as an Independent.