Summer Lee facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Summer Lee
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 12th district
Incumbent
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
Other political affiliations	Democratic Socialists of America (until 2021)
Education	Pennsylvania State University (BA) Howard University (JD)
Signature

Summer Lynn Lee (born November 26, 1987) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district since 2023. 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 and became the first black woman from Pennsylvania in the House of Representatives after winning the general election.

A member of the Democratic Party, Lee was a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 34th district from 2019 to 2022. With the support of the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), Lee was also the first black woman to represent Southwestern Pennsylvania in the state legislature.

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. She campaigned for Bernie Sanders in the 2016 Democratic primaries after graduating.

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

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. She defeated Costa, 67.8% to 32.2%, attributing her victory to grassroots campaigning. She was unopposed in the general election.

Committee assignments

• Education
• Health
• Judiciary

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2022

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. 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.

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.

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

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. With elections in the 32nd district, where incumbent Tony DeLuca died in October 2022 but was reelected posthumously to a 21st term, 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.

2024

In 2024, Lee faced a primary challenge from Edgewood Councilwoman Bhavini Patel, who ran towards the political center compared to Lee. Amid concerns that her criticism of Israel could cost her renomination in a district with a significant Jewish population, Lee cultivated endorsements from prominent Democrats including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Bob Casey Jr. The race between Lee and Patel, who is pro-Israel, was seen as a bellwether for other primary races where pro-Israel candidates are challenging progressive, Israel-critical incumbents. Ultimately Lee defeated Patel, but unlike Lee fellow progressive Israel critics Jamaal Bowman and Cori Bush were defeated for renomination by pro-Israel candidates who, unlike Patel, received backing from the pro-Israel AIPAC.

Tenure

Affirmative action

In response to the Supreme Court's decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard, which held that race-based affirmative action programs in college admissions processes violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, Lee stated that she was "disgusted that our country just enshrined racial inequity in higher education and economic immobility into law.

Economy

Lee was among the 46 Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House. She was the only no-vote among western Pennsylvania house members. She had previously decried Republicans' willingness to take the country "to the brink of economic catastrophe" to win budget concessions.

Gun control

On April 7, 2023, Lee harshly criticized the Tennessee House's expulsion of Democratic representatives Justin Pearson and Justin Jones. The lawmakers were expelled after joining a protest against mass shootings on the Tennessee house floor. 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."

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. This was two months after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which also involved a Norfolk Southern train. In response to these events, Lee publicly supported multiple bills in Congress that look to enforce strict regulations on the rail industry. 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.

Iran

Lee and other progressive Democrats voted against a resolution condemning Iran's aerial attack on Israel in April. She also voted against an embargo on sending American technology to Iran and a resolution requesting the European Union designate Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.

Israel and Palestine

On April 4, 2023, 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.

On April 25, 2023, Lee was one of 19 Representatives (18 Democrats and 1 Republican) to vote against House Resolution 311, a resolution honoring America's relationship with Israel on the 75th anniversary of its independence.

On May 5, 2023, Lee was one of 17 cosponsors of the "Defending the Human Rights of Palestinian Children and Families Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act," which "prohibits U.S. taxpayer funding to the Government of Israel from being used for the military detention, abuse, or ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention."

On June 13, 2023, Lee was one of 13 representatives (eleven Democrats and two Republicans) who voted against a bill mandating the Biden administration appoint a special envoy for the Abraham Accords.

On July 18, 2023, she voted against, along with eight other Progressive Democrats (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cori Bush, Jamaal Bowman, André Carson, Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Delia Ramirez, and Rashida Tlaib), a non-binding resolution proposed by August Pfluger which states that "the State of Israel is not a racist or apartheid state", that Congress rejects "all forms of antisemitism and xenophobia" and that "the United States will always be a staunch partner and supporter of Israel." In a tweet, Congresswoman Lee wrote, "I reject antisemitism and xenophobia in all its forms. Whether we're talking about India, Israel, or Sri Lanka, we are not true allies if we cannot push our partners to uphold basic human rights & democratic values."

On October 25, 2023, Lee and eight other progressive Democrats (Ocasio-Cortez, Bowman, Bush, Carson, Omar, Ramirez, Tlaib, and Al Green), along with Republican Thomas Massie, voted against a resolution supporting Israel in the wake of the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The resolution stated that the House of Representatives: "stands with Israel as it defends itself against the barbaric war launched by Hamas and other terrorists" and "reaffirms the United States' commitment to Israel's security"; the resolution passed by an overwhelming 412-10-6 margin. Lee has instead voiced support for a ceasefire in the wake of Israel's military campaign against Hamas, co-sponsoring an opposing resolution demanding a ceasefire in the conflict. She has condemned Hamas's attack. She has also accused Israel of war crimes. Lee voted against a foreign aid package for Israel.

Russia

Lee, along with nearly fifty other members of Congress, were barred from entering Russia on May 19, 2023.

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.

TikTok

In light of a potential ban on TikTok in the United States, Lee has supported the platform, calling it "an incredible organizing tactic." She voted against a bill that would force TikTok's parent company to sell the app or face a ban.

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Black Caucus
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (vice chair)
• Congressional Progressive Caucus

Committee assignments

• Committee on Science and Technology
• Committee on Oversight and Accountability

Electoral history

2018

2020

2022

2024

Personal life

Lee lives in Swissvale, Pennsylvania.

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives
• List of Democratic Socialists of America who have held office in the United States
• Women in the United States House of Representatives