Lee McQueen, of Texarkana, has announced she has filed as a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives, District 4, running as an independent progressive.

McQueen said she intends to run her grassroots-inspired congressional campaign free from corporate money and influence. In the coming months, she plans to travel the district and visit cities such as Texarkana, Hope, Arkadelphia, Magnolia, Monticello, El Dorado, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, Mount Ida, Waldron, Clarksville, plus towns in between, to speak to as many citizens as possible about their concerns and their issues and what they require from a congressional representative.

She said health care, education and housing for all; good jobs and living wages; responsible businesses and a strong tax base; renewable energy development and infrastructure modernization; safety and security with respect for civil liberties; foreign policy with respect for diplomacy and human rights; integrity and trust in the electoral process; plus active civic engagement are a few examples of what make strong, prosperous, healthy, happy, productive communities.

McQueen's family has resided in the Texarkana and Little Rock regions for over 100 years. She visited her grandparents regularly and relocated to Arkansas to continue the family tradition of community service and civic engagement. She is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and public affairs essays and performs editing and research and has been a librarian and substitute teacher.

She holds a B.A. in political science from Xavier University of Louisiana, an M.L.S. from State University of New York at Buffalo, and has studied public policy and administration at the LBJ School for Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Her involvement with politics began with volunteer work for the 1988 Jesse Jackson presidential campaign. While she also performed community organizing on summer breaks, other moments of enlightenment came whenever she crossed paths with former Congresswoman Barbara Jordan at the LBJ School for Public Affairs.

McQueen has written several articles on political affairs of the day and modeled her own public affairs webcast on C-SPAN's Washington Journal. With nearly 1,000 videos ranging from 2009 to present, she has covered many topics over the years including local and national legislation and policy, foreign affairs, political campaigns, elected officials and others. She has door-knocked and canvassed for successful ballot measures.