Summer Lee

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Summer Lee
File:Rep. Summer Lee - 118th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 12th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded by Mike Doyle (redistricting)
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 34th district
In office
January 1, 2019 – December 7, 2022
Preceded by Paul Costa
Succeeded by Abigail Salisbury
Personal details
Born (1987-11-26) November 26, 1987 (age 37)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party Democratic
Education Pennsylvania State University (BA)
Howard University (JD)
Website House website

Summer Lynn Lee (born November 26, 1987)[1] is an American politician and community organizer serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Lee served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 34th district from 2019 to 2022.[2] With the support of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, she defeated incumbent Paul Costa in the 2018 Democratic primary election with over 67% of the vote.[3] Lee was the first black woman to represent Southwestern Pennsylvania in the state legislature.[2]

Lee was the Democratic nominee in the 2022 election to represent Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. She won the primary by less than 1% of the vote over her closest opponent, Steve Irwin, the chair of the State Advisory Committee for the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She won the general election, and became the first Black woman from Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives.[4][5]

Lee was a member of Democratic Socialists of America,[6] but left DSA before winning office after disagreements with the Pittsburgh DSA chapter.[7]

Early life and education

Of African American heritage, Lee was raised in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, and attended Woodland Hills High School. She graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2009 and earned a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law in 2015.[1][8][9] She campaigned for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries after graduating.[10]

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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See also: 2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election

Lee challenged incumbent Representative Paul Costa in the Democratic primary for the 34th district in 2018. An organizer from Pittsburgh's DSA chapter approached her about running after she led a successful write-in campaign for a school board candidate.[10] She defeated Costa, 67.8% to 32.2%, attributing her victory to grassroots campaigning.[11] She was unopposed in the general election.

Committee assignments

U.S. House of Representatives

Tenure

Abortion

Lee joined forty other House Democrats in a letter calling on the Biden Administration to use all means possible to preserve FDA approval for Mifepristone and protect access to these treatments nationwide, in response to a ruling by Northern District of Texas Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk.[13]

Gun Control

On March 29, 2023, two Pittsburgh Catholic schools received what investigators deemed were hoax active shooter threats that prompted evacuations, lockdowns and large responses from police.[14] This came two days after a highly-publicized school shooting in Nashville.[15] In response, Lee said that having to endure active shootings and related evacuations, drills and hoaxes is “no way for our kids to live,” and blamed the proliferation of guns in America for causing the widespread panic of the fake active shooting reports.[16]

On April 7, 2023, Lee harshly criticized the Tennessee House's expulsion of Democratic representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones. [17] The lawmakers were expelled after joining a protest against mass shootings on the Tennessee house floor.[18] Her criticism was also aimed at Republican's overall treatment of gun control, saying "people are dying because Republicans want to put politics over the lives of the people they represent. They ask for safety for themselves, but not for school children, and they’ll sacrifice the lives of our loved ones for their lobbyists."[19]

Infrastructure

After a Norfolk Southern train derailed in Pittsburgh on April 8, 2023, Lee called for more accountability from railroads, and protection from so-called “bomb trains” that carry hazardous materials through populated areas.[20] This was two months after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which also involved a Norfolk Southern train.[21] In response to these events, Lee publicly supported multiple bills in Congress that look to enforce strict regulations on the rail industry.[22] She is an original co-sponsor of the DERAIL Act, which would put stricter federal rail safety regulations in place that were rolled back during the Trump administration.[23]

Israel

Lee joined Senator Bernie Sanders, and at least nine House Democrats, in signing a letter to President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressing concern over rising violence between Israelis and Palestinians and the new Israeli government’s attempt to weaken the country’s independent judiciary.[24]

Syria

In 2023, Lee was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[25][26]

TikTok

In light of a potential ban on TikTok in the United States, Lee has thrown her support behind the app, labeling it "an incredible organizing tactic."[27][28]

2022 election

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See also: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania § District 12
File:Summer Lee campaigning.jpg
Lee announcing her congressional campaign

In October 2021, Lee announced her candidacy for Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district after the incumbent representative, Mike Doyle, announced his retirement.[29] After Pennsylvania's new congressional districts were chosen in February 2022, most of the old 18th district, including Pittsburgh as well as parts of the Mon Valley and Westmoreland County, became the 12th district, and Lee announced she would run there.[30]

Lee won the Democratic primary election on May 17, 2022, defeating rival Steve Irwin. Though Irwin had an early lead on election night with early and mail-in ballots, Lee emerged with a victory of around 740 votes once in-person Election Day votes were counted. She won the Allegheny County portion of the district by almost 4,500 votes. Most networks had declared Lee the winner by May 20, and Irwin conceded that day.[31]

In the November 8 general election, Lee defeated Republican Mike Doyle (no relation to the Democratic incumbent).[32]

Lee simultaneously ran for reelection to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives; she was reelected to a third term with little opposition, but was required to resign the seat to assume her new role in the U.S. House, which she did on December 7, 2022.[33][34] With elections in the 32nd district, where incumbent Tony DeLuca died in October 2022 but was reelected posthumously to a 21st term,[35] and the 35th district, where incumbent Austin Davis was simultaneously reelected to a third full term and elected lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, an unusual situation arose in which the Democratic Party gained control of the chamber, having won 102 seats to the Republican Party's 101 in the 2022 elections, but would begin the new legislative term with just 99 members, due to these three vacancies in solidly Democratic districts in Allegheny County.[36]

Caucus memberships

Committee assignments

Electoral history

2018

2018 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Representative District 34[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee 6,914 67.77
Democratic Paul Costa (incumbent) 3,288 32.23
Total votes 10,202 100
2018 General election Pennsylvania State Representative District 34[40]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee Unopposed
Total votes 21,240 100.0%
Democratic hold

2020

2020 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania State Representative District 34[41]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee 11,863 76.36
Democratic Christopher Roland 3,672 23.64
Total votes 15,535 100
2020 General election Pennsylvania State Representative District 34[42]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee Unopposed
Total votes 27,129 100.0%
Democratic hold

2022

2022 Democratic primary for U.S. Representative[43]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee 48,002 41.9
Democratic Steve Irwin 47,014 41.0
Democratic Jerry Dickinson 12,440 10.9
Democratic Jeff Woodard 5,454 4.8
Democratic William Parker 1,670 1.5
Total votes 114,580 100
2022 Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Summer Lee 184,674 56.2
Republican Mike Doyle[lower-alpha 1] 143,946 43.8
Total votes 328,620 100
Democratic hold

Personal life

Lee lives in Swissvale, Pennsylvania.[10]

See also

Notes

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References

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External links

Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 34th district
2019–2022		 Succeeded by
Abigail Salisbury
United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district
2023–present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
405th		 Succeeded by
Anna Paulina Luna

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118th
Senate:
House:

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