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Photograph of Summer L. Lee

Summer L. Lee

U.S. House · PA-12 · Democrats · since 2025

also

Candidate for U.S. House · PA-12

Target Summer

Biography

Overview

Summer L. Lee is a Democrat serving as the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district since 2023. She is the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress. Lee represents a district that encompasses the majority of Pittsburgh and eastern suburbs, including parts of Westmoreland County. She holds degrees from Pennsylvania State University and Howard University School of Law. Prior to her election to Congress, Lee served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 2019 to 2022.

Career

As a state legislator, Lee defeated an incumbent in a primary with 67.8% of the vote through grassroots campaigning. In Congress, she has sponsored fourteen bills addressing workers' rights, criminal justice, education, housing, and campaign finance reform. Lee has taken visible positions on gun control, criticizing Republican resistance to regulations following school shooting threats in her district. She co-sponsors bills on rail safety following derailments near Pittsburgh and opposes certain foreign policy measures, including voting against aid packages and resolutions on Israel-related matters that she viewed as inconsistent with human rights advocacy.

Prior political experience

Lee won the 2022 Democratic primary for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district on May 17, 2022, defeating Steve Irwin by approximately 740 votes after in-person Election Day ballots were counted. She won the Allegheny County portion of the district by almost 4,500 votes. In the November 2022 general election, Lee defeated Republican Mike Doyle. In 2024, Lee faced a primary challenge from Edgewood councilwoman Bhavini Patel and won reelection, securing endorsements from prominent Democrats including House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Bob Casey Jr.

Biographical material adapted from the Wikipedia article (retrieved April 29, 2026), available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Ideology

Liberal–Conservative (DW-NOMINATE dim 1)

Liberal
Conservative
119th Congress-0.414

Secondary axis (DW-NOMINATE dim 2)(?)

−1
+1
-0.910
Source: Voteview DW-NOMINATE · 347 scored votes

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Officeholding history

TermSeatTerm datesTerminationPredecessorSuccessor
2ndU.S. House PA-122025–presentIn progressSummer L. Lee—
1stU.S. House PA-122023–2025Term ended—Summer L. Lee

Committee assignments

Current term legislation

Bills sponsored this term10

Bills cosponsored this term10

Elections

YearSeatResultVote shareField
——Pending——