Summer Lee

Summer Lee is a legislator, attorney, and community organizer who has focused her career on advocating for working families, environmental justice, and equitable representation. After winning both the congressional primary and general election, Lee became the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress. She represents Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District, which includes the majority of Pittsburgh and the eastern suburbs. Lee holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism with minors in international studies and French from Pennsylvania State University, and a Juris Doctor from Howard University School of Law, where she concentrated on civil rights and social justice advocacy.

Prior to serving in Congress, Lee was active in grassroots organizing and labor advocacy. She worked as a labor organizer with the Fight for $15 campaign to increase the minimum wage and led voter mobilization efforts for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. Lee led an initiative to reform the Woodland Hills School Board following incidents of violence against students, then ran for State House, defeating a 20-year incumbent and becoming the first Black woman from Western Pennsylvania in the legislature. She co-founded UNITE, a grassroots organization that contributed to the election of progressive candidates across the region. Lee secured her congressional nomination by a narrow margin in a competitive primary before winning the general election.

In Congress, Lee has secured federal investments for Western Pennsylvania, supporting infrastructure, transit, clean air and water, affordable housing, research institutions, STEM innovation, entrepreneurship, and workforce development. Notable achievements include funding for affordable housing in Pittsburgh, Environmental Protection Agency grants for water quality improvements, and revitalization projects in the Hill District. Lee has passed community project funding, responded to thousands of constituents, attended hundreds of community events, and cosponsored legislation on issues such as environmental protection, abortion rights, gun violence prevention, and voting rights.

Lee serves as the ranking member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform's Subcommittee on Federal Law Enforcement and is a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, participating in the Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education Subcommittee and the Higher Education and Workforce Development Subcommittee. She has advocated for campaign finance reform, environmental justice, and criminal legal reform. Lee is recognized for her work on climate and environmental justice, drawing on her experiences growing up in a region affected by industrial pollution. She continues to advocate for communities that have faced historical disadvantages, bringing legal expertise and grassroots experience to her legislative efforts.