Lee was created as a fairly safe Labor electorate in the 1991 electoral distribution to replace the abolished electoral district of Albert Park and absorbed half of the abolished electoral district of Semaphore. The first member for Lee, elected at the 1993 election, was controversial Liberal MP Joe Rossi, with the governments smallest margin of 1.1 percent; Rossi's election was unexpected, but was part of a large swing away from Labor throughout the state. At the 1997 election there were large swings back to Labor. Rossi's small margin meant he was one of the first to be defeated. He was replaced by Labor's Michael Wright.