Summer Lee

Summer Lynn Lee is an American politician and attorney serving as the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district since January 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she was first elected to Congress in November 2022, making history as the first Black woman from Pennsylvania ever elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Raised in North Braddock, Pennsylvania, Lee graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 2009 with a degree in journalism and earned her Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law in 2015, specializing in civil rights and social justice advocacy. Before her federal career, Lee worked as a community and labor organizer, notably participating in the "Fight for $15" movement and leading voter mobilization efforts for the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In 2018, she was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 34th district after defeating a long-term incumbent in the primary. During her tenure in the state legislature from 2019 to 2022, she was the first Black woman from Western Pennsylvania to serve in that body and focused her efforts on environmental justice, criminal justice reform, and expanding regional infrastructure.

Summer Lee identifies as a progressive Democrat and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Her policy platform emphasizes universal healthcare through 'Medicare for All' and environmental protection via the 'Green New Deal.' She advocates for economic justice by supporting a $15 minimum wage, the expansion of labor unions, and increased federal investment in affordable housing and public transit. On criminal justice, she supports ending cash bail and implementing police accountability measures. In foreign policy, she has been a prominent advocate for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict and emphasizes a human-rights-centered approach to international relations and aid.