Summer Lee

Summer Lee

Democratic Party

U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Tenure

2023 - Present

Term ends

2027

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Fred Keller

Prior offices

Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Successor: Abigail Salisbury

Predecessor: Paul Costa

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Compensation

Base salary

$174,000

Elections and appointments

Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

Pennsylvania State University, 2009

Law

Howard University, 2015

Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Twitter

Official Instagram

Official YouTube

Official TikTok

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

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Summer Lee (Democratic Party) is a member of the U.S. House, representing Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. She assumed office on January 3, 2023. Her current term ends on January 3, 2027.

Lee (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the U.S. House to represent Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Biography

Summer Lee graduated from Woodland Hills High School in 2005. Lee earned a B.A. in journalism from Pennsylvania State University in 2009 and a J.D. from Howard University in 2015. Her career experience includes working as a summer intern with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc., and the Office of the Attorney General of the District of Columbia.

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023

The 118th United States Congress began on January 3, 2023, at which point Republicans held the majority in the U.S. House of Representatives (222-212), and Democrats held the majority in the U.S. Senate (51-49). Joe Biden (D) was the president and Kamala Harris (D) was the vice president. We identified the key votes below using Congress' top-viewed bills list and through marquee coverage of certain votes on Ballotpedia.

Key votes: 118th Congress, 2023
Vote	Bill and description	Status
Nay	National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024   The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 (H.R. 2670) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on December 22, 2023, authorizing Department of Defense activities and programs for fiscal year 2024. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (310-118)
Nay	To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.   H.R. 185 (To terminate the requirement imposed by the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for proof of COVID-19 vaccination for foreign travelers, and for other purposes.) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to nullify a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) order restricting the entry of foreign citizens to the United States unless the individual was vaccinated against the coronavirus or attested they would take public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (227-201)
Nay	Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023   The Limit, Save, Grow Act of 2023 (H.R. 2811) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to raise the federal debt limit before a June 5, 2023, deadline. The bill also sought to repeal certain green energy tax credits, increase domestic natural gas and oil production, expand work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program, and nullify President Joe Biden's (D) proposed student loan debt cancellation program. This bill was not taken up in the Senate, and the debt limit was instead raised through the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (217-215)
Nay	Denouncing the horrors of socialism.   H.Con.Res. 9 (Denouncing the horrors of socialism.) was a resolution approved by the House of Representatives denouncing socialism and opposing the implementation of socialist policies in the United States. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (328-86)
Nay	Lower Energy Costs Act   The Lower Energy Costs Act (H.R. 1) was a bill approved by the House of Representatives that sought to increase domestic energy production and exports by increasing the production of oil, natural gas, and coal, reducing permitting restrictions for pipelines, refineries, and other energy projects, and increase the production of minerals used in electronics, among other energy production-related policies. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (225-204)
Nay	Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".   H.J.Res. 30 (Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to "Prudence and Loyalty in Selecting Plan Investments and Exercising Shareholder Rights".) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and vetoed by President Joe Biden (D) on March 20, 2023. This was Biden's first veto of his presidency. The resolution sought to nullify a Department of Labor rule that amended the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow retirement plans to consider certain environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) factors in investment-related decisions. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (219-200)
Nay	Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.   H.J.Res. 7 (Relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020.) was a joint resolution of disapproval under the terms of the Congressional Review Act (CRA) passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on April 10, 2023. The resolution ended the national coronavirus state of emergency, which began on March 13, 2020. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (229-197)
Nay	Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023   The Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 (H.R. 3746) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on June 3, 2023. The bill raised the federal debt limit until January 2025. The bill also capped non-defense spending in fiscal year 2024, rescinded unspent coronavirus relief funding, rescinded some Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding, enhanced work requirements for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program (TANF), simplified environmental reviews for energy projects, and ended the student loan debt repayment pause in August 2023. The bill required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (314-117)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (January 2023) - 15th vote   In January 2023, the House of Representatives held its regular election for Speaker of the House at the start of the 118th Congress. Voting began on January 3, and ended on January 7. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was elected speaker of the House in a 216-212 vote during the 15th round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) (216-212)
Yea	Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.   H.Res. 757 (Declaring the office of Speaker of the House of Representatives to be vacant.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) from his position as Speaker of the House. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (216-210)
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.)	Speaker of the House election (October 2023) - 4th vote   In October 2023, following Rep. Kevin McCarthy's (R-Calif.) removal as Speaker of the House, the House of Representatives held another election for the position. Voting began on October 17 and ended on October 25. Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) was elected Speaker of the House in a 220-209 vote in the fourth round of voting. In order to elect a Speaker of the House, a majority of votes cast for a person by name was required. Click here to read more.	Rep. Mike Johnson (R-La.) (220-209)
Nay	Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.   H.Res. 918 (Directing certain committees to continue their ongoing investigations as part of the existing House of Representatives inquiry into whether sufficient grounds exist for the House of Representatives to exercise its Constitutional power to impeach Joseph Biden, President of the United States of America, and for other purposes.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that formally authorized an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden (D). The inquiry focused on allegations that Biden used his influence as vice president from 2009 to 2017 to improperly profit from his son Hunter Biden's business dealings. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House. Click here to read more.	Passed (221-212)
Yea	Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.   H.Res. 878 (Providing for the expulsion of Representative George Santos from the United States House of Representatives.) was a resolution passed by the House of Representatives that removed Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) from office following a House Ethics Committee investigation that determined there was substantial evidence that Santos violated the law during his 2020 and 2022 campaigns. The resolution required a simple majority vote in the House.	Passed (311-114)
Yea	The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023.   The Social Security Fairness Act of 2023 (H.R 82) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on January 5, 2025, that reduced Social Security benefits for individuals who received other pensions from state or local governments. It also eliminated an offset that would reduce benefits for spouses and widows of individuals with government pensions. It also eliminated a provision that reduced benefits for an individual who received a pension or disability benefit from an employer that did not withhold Social Security taxes. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (327-75)
Nay	Secure the Border Act of 2023   The Secure the Border Act of 2023 was passed by the U.S. House on May 11, 2024. This bill would have introduced limits to asylum eligibility and required employers to use electronic verification of employee's legal eligibility to work. This bill required a simple majority vote.	Passed (219-214)
Nay	Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024   The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2024 (H.R. 4366) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) On March 9, 2024, authorizing appropriations for various government departments for the fiscal year 2024. The bill required a majority vote to pass.	Passed (219-211)
Yea	Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024   The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 was a bill passed by the U.S. House on January 31, 2024, that would have modified the U.S. tax code, increasing how much money can be given back in credits and what is exempt. This bill required a 2/3rds majority vote to pass.	Passed (357-70)
Nay	Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025   The Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement and National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025 was passed by the U.S. House on June 14, 2024. The bill would have modified defense spending in the fiscal year 2025. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (217-199)
Nay	Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023   The Antisemitism Awareness Act of 2023 was passed by the U.S. House on May 1, 2024. This bill made it so the Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights could have the authority to use the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism when investigating cases of discrimination. This bill required a simple majority vote to pass.	Passed (320-91)
Yea	FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024   The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (H.R.3935) was a bill passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on May 16, 2024, that reauthorized Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding until fiscal year 2028. The bill also made other modifications to address various department-related issues. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (387-26)
Nay	Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act   The Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act was passed by the U.S. House on November 21, 2024. The bill would have postponed U.S. tax deadlines for citizens who were wrongfully detained abroad. This bill required a simple majority to pass.	Passed (219-214)
Nay	Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors.   H.Res.863, Impeaching Alejandro Nicholas Mayorkas, Secretary of Homeland Security, for high crimes and misdemeanors, passed the U.S. House on February 13, 2024. The resolution impeached U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas (D) for high crimes and misdemeanors. The motion to impeach required a majority in the House and a 2/3rds vote in the Senate.	Passed (214-213)
Yea	Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025   H.R.9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025, was passed by the 118th Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden (D) on September 26, 2024, providing funding to federal agencies, including the Secret Service, and federal programs for the 2025 fiscal year. The bill required a two-thirds majority vote in the House to pass the bill as amended by a Senate and House conference report.	Passed (341-82)

Elections

2024

See also: Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District election, 2024

Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (April 23 Democratic primary)

Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District election, 2024 (April 23 Republican primary)

General election

General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Incumbent Summer Lee defeated James Hayes in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee (D)	56.2	234,802
		James Hayes (R)	43.5	181,426
		Other/Write-in votes	0.3	1,280

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 417,508
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Incumbent Summer Lee defeated Bhavini Patel in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on April 23, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee	60.4	64,594
		Bhavini Patel	39.2	41,902
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	415

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 106,911
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Laurie MacDonald (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

James Hayes defeated Paul Bryant in the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on April 23, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Hayes	98.5	34,759
		Paul Bryant (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Other/Write-in votes	1.5	543

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 35,302
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Laurie MacDonald (R)

Endorsements

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Lee received the following endorsements.

• U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (Independent)
• U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D)

2022

Congress

See also: Pennsylvania's 12th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Summer Lee defeated Michael Doyle in the general election for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee (D)	56.2	184,674
		Michael Doyle (R)	43.8	143,946

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 328,620
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Donald Nevills (R)
• Stephanie Fox (D)
• Jake Webster (D)
• Bhavini Patel (D)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Summer Lee defeated Steve Irwin, Jerry Dickinson, Jeff Woodard, and William Parker in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee	41.9	48,002
		Steve Irwin	41.0	47,014
		Jerry Dickinson	10.9	12,440
		Jeff Woodard	4.8	5,454
		William Parker	1.5	1,670

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 114,580
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

Michael Doyle advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Michael Doyle	100.0	39,531

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 39,531
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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State House

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Summer Lee won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee (D)	100.0	22,990

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 22,990
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Summer Lee defeated Abigail Salisbury in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee	65.8	9,178
		Abigail Salisbury	34.2	4,768

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,946
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Summer Lee won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee (D)	100.0	27,129

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 27,129
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Incumbent Summer Lee defeated Chris Roland in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on June 2, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee	77.0	10,091
	Submit photo	Chris Roland	23.0	3,017

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 13,108
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2018

See also: Pennsylvania House of Representatives elections, 2018

General election

General election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Summer Lee won election in the general election for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee (D)	100.0	21,240

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 21,240
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34

Summer Lee defeated incumbent Paul Costa in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Summer Lee	67.8	6,914
		Paul Costa	32.2	3,288

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 10,202
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Endorsements

Lee received the endorsement from the Pittsburgh chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, the Sierra Club, and Planned Parenthood.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Summer Lee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2024 Candidate Connection survey.

2022

Summer Lee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Lee's campaign website stated the following:

“	DEMOCRACY AND VOTING RIGHTS Throughout our nation’s history, we have never delivered on the promises of democracy. The legacies of slavery and Jim Crow have carried on through voter disenfranchisement, gerrymandering, and voter suppression making the ballot box inaccessible, especially for poor, Black and brown people across the country. Not only must we end racist voter ID and suppression laws, restore the full power of the Voting Rights Act, and end gerrymandering, but we must go farther and provide every person in our country with the right to vote - from previously incarcerated people to immigrants, everyone deserves a voice in our democracy. Congress should be making it easier to vote, not harder, that means automatic voter registration, nationwide early and mail voting, federal holidays for election days, and same day voter registration. Additionally, as long as corporations can funnel billions into elections, our democracy will continue to belong to the highest bidder. Comprehensive campaign finance reform that ends Citizens United and puts campaigns back into the hands of the people is a necessary step to rebuilding our democracy. Our government’s rules have also failed to fulfill the promise of democracy and it is time we end outdated and arbitrary laws. We must end the filibuster, a tool championed by segregationist Senators to oppose civil rights legislation, that continues to stand in the way of progress today. We must expand the Supreme Court and federal courts so that right-wing extremists cannot strip away our fundamental rights and end lifetime appointments to the highest court in the land. Our democracy has long been broken, but we have the tools to rebuild a more reflective democracy once and for all. DISABILITY JUSTICE All policymaking must be rooted in a disability justice framework, which recognizes it as inextricable from racial, gender, and economic justice, and means we must work in solidarity across “categories” to build towards collective access. Ableism in our country and its laws have forced disabled people into second-class citizenship. While almost 1 in 4 people in the nation have a disability, disabled people are overrepresented in incarceration, victims of police violence, and poverty. We must ensure that all disabled people are paid fairly and end the loopholes that allow businesses to pay disabled people sub minimum wages. Additionally, we must expand and reform Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI), so that people receiving benefits can actually survive on them and end the punitive regulations that trap disabled people into poverty. The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the deep inequities that already exist within our healthcare system–especially for disabled communities. We must not only pass Medicare for All, but ensure that it includes coverage of community-based long term support services as well as massive federal investments in home and community-based services (HCBS) to get hundreds of thousands of disabled people off waiting lists for home care and ensure they have access to the care they and their families need. We must also ensure that disabled people have access to a quality education - one key way to do that is by increasing funding for the constantly underfunded Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, so disabled students have the resources they need in public schools. We also must continue to build on laws like the ADA, by passing legislation like the ASAP Act which seeks to make all public transit ADA-compliant and accessible. ECONOMIC JUSTICE & UNION JOBS Right now, our economy works for the wealthy few and corporations at the expense of the working poor. Corporate tax breaks, unregulated Wall Street and Big Tech companies, and defunded social services have only reinforced the deep systemic inequalities that we continue to face as a nation. Economic growth has left behind marginalized communities and it’s time we center working people in our economic policies. That’s why I’ve continued to advocate for legislation that supports a livable wage and aims to close the unnecessary gap between skyrocketing corporate profits and working people’s poverty wages. There is no reason why the people in our community - or in any community - should be unable to afford a home on the wages they earn after working a full-time job. I am also committed to using the power of the office to support my constituents’ right and ability to unionize because every worker deserves a union. Our community’s history is the greatest proof you need for the benefits of being in a union and the disadvantages of being kept out of them. Now, we’re witnessing historically low rates of unionization nationwide. We know unions are one of our greatest tools to reduce inequality, raise wages, and support better benefits and job protections, so I’m ready to fight for a robust labor movement that reflects the racial, gender, and industry diversity that a 21st century labor movement demands. That’s why I support the PRO Act - because I believe that every worker deserves a union and it’s time for our laws to protect unions and strengthen workers’ rights to organize. A critical component of the Green New Deal is its focus on a jobs guarantee, a guaranteed living wage, and strengthening the U.S. labor movement.Transitioning American society to 100% clean and renewable energy will create millions of good-paying union jobs. We have a moral obligation to make that transition to save our planet and ensure that all fossil fuel workers are fully equipped with the skills and training necessary to thrive in a green energy economy. No worker will be left behind. EDUCATION Every child deserves access to a first-rate, free public education - regardless of their zip code or socioeconomic background. Unfortunately, our funding mechanisms for public education are deeply inequitable, leaving behind working-class communities and communities of color. Public colleges and universities and vocational programs should be tuition-free and all existing student loan debt should be canceled. I’m fighting for equitable funding for our schools. That means a fair funding formula that guarantees that children will not be punished for growing up in the “wrong” zip code. I also support universal free pre-kindergarten, including early childcare, and dramatically expanding teacher-training programs with a focus on generating high-quality teachers with cultural competency among an increasingly diverse student population. ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE On any given day, our region suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the nation. CEOs get wealthy while our community--especially Black and brown communities--experiences higher rates of asthma, cancer and other diseases. Despite these increased health risks, Congress still won’t act with the urgency we need to establish protections against new developments that pose even greater environmental and health risks. As a state representative, I’ve always been vocal in my opposition to fracking and have emphasized the need for sustainable jobs. When there was a fracking proposal in the Mon Valley, we joined with the community to fight back and stopped it in its tracks. The people in our community have been fighting back against fossil fuel corporations’ fracking proposals for decades, and I am proud to continue to stand with them. In Congress I will fight for a Green New Deal to transition to a 100% clean and renewable energy economy. This includes ending fracking, which poses a disproportionate threat to communities like ours. The Green New Deal centers frontline and marginalized communities facing the brunt of environmental racism - communities with poisoned water, high rates of asthma, etc - communities like ours. I believe everyone deserves clean air and safe drinking water. That’s why I’m focused on fully funding the replacement of all lead water lines. It is unconscionable that anyone in America wouldn’t have access to clean water. We can and must guarantee clean water for all. We have the financial resources to make it happen. GUN VIOLENCE Like communities across the country, Western Pennsylvania is facing a gun violence epidemic. We need an assault weapons ban, expanded background checks, end protections for corporate gun manufacturers and bold gun-safety legislation to stop the mass shootings that have become all too common across schools, churches, stores and cities across America. But in communities like ours, gun violence even more often means the widespread violence that happens in our streets with handguns. That violence is rooted in poverty, rooted in communities that have gone underfunded and ignored for too long. We need an investment in our schools, after-school programs, and wrap-around services. We need an investment in jobs and higher wages, so people have a choice in shaping their future. Gun violence cannot be addressed in isolation, it’s rooted in every social service funding we cut and must be combatted at that level too. IMMIGRATION No human being is illegal. Our immigration system is a broken web of xenophobic policies that seek to punish brown and Black people instead of building pathways to citizenship. We need to restore humanity in our immigration system by ending the separation of families and reversing roadblocks for asylum-seekers and refugees. Millions of undocumented immigrants, from Dreamers to people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS), deserve a pathway to citizenship because their home is here. Right now, our immigration system is built like our broken criminal legal system - it is punitive, relies on private prisons for detention, has built up an over-militarized border, and has turned ICE into a violent policing agency. All of that must end for us to prioritize the people getting lost, abused, and deported by our current immigration system. JUSTICE REFORM Mass incarceration is the antithesis of building stronger families and communities in this district. The existing criminal and juvenile justice systems are among the biggest barriers to social justice and upward mobility and yet taxpayers foot the bill. America spends more on prisons than education. This spending comes at the expense of other social services that Pennsylvanians rely on, including Medicaid. It’s time for a shift from investing in ineffective, punitive systems to investing in our future. I am committed to ending the school to-prison pipeline. Our schools should be safe spaces for all students to learn and grow. Our current model of referring children to armed law enforcement on campus and prosecuting them for schoolyard infractions feeds children into the prison industrial complex and limits their future prospects. Instead of defaulting to suspension, expulsion, and incarceration, we must implement more restorative and effective practices. I am opposed to mandatory minimum sentencing laws. The strategy behind the “War on Drugs” is an unmitigated failure that has only torn families and communities apart. Mandatory minimums disproportionately affect Black and poor communities, and hinder efforts to combat the opioid crisis in our communities today. Our family members, friends, and neighbors who suffer from addiction don’t need harsh prison sentences; they need affordable and accessible medical care. We must also end the numerous inhumane practices across our justice system. That means eliminating cash bail because our current system, which imprisons people based on their ability to pay, is a barbaric relic that punishes the poor for their poverty. Additionally, we must abolish the death penalty and life without parole–the state should not have the power to end someone’s life or sentence them to death by incarceration. LGBTQ+ RIGHTS The struggle for LGBTQ+ rights is among the defining civil rights issues of our time. Congress must pass the Equality Act to provide long overdue federal protections for LGBTQ+ people and their families. Right now there are no federal standards to prohibit discrimination against LGBTQ+ people in health care, housing, employment, etc. Beyond these fundamental protections, we must focus on meaningful representation for the LGBTQ+ community in politics, ward off a right-wing Supreme Court that could poke holes in LGBTQ rights based on “religious liberty,” and address the many disparities that the LGBTQ+ community faces in affordable, inclusive health care. MEDICARE FOR ALL I continue to believe that healthcare is a fundamental human right. No one in this country should fear losing coverage because of preexisting conditions, their employment status, their immigration status, daring to start their own business, or aging off of their parent’s insurance. Our healthcare system is fundamentally broken. Medicare For All wouldn’t just save money, it would save lives. Medicare for All would eliminate fees and expand coverage, which means no one has to live in fear of bankruptcy in the event of a medical emergency or even just seeking preventative care. No more copays, deductibles and premiums. It would include not just medical, but also vision, dental, reproductive, mental health, and long-term care coverage. In too many cities like ours, we see mental health care and addiction crises criminalized through mass incarceration instead of supported in our healthcare system--Medicare for All would ensure a federal investment in mental healthcare and addiction services at the scale our communities need. Medicare for All will also lower prescription drug prices by allowing the government to negotiate drug prices and allowing consumers to buy directly from cheaper markets, forcing Big Pharma back to the negotiating table. The COVID-19 pandemic has only further exposed the inequities in our healthcare system. Black, brown, and indigineous adults are more likely to be uninsured than the national average. At the same time, Black people have higher maternal mortality, infant mortality, asthma rates among kids, and are more likely to die from cancer than anyone else. For marginalized communities, access to healthcare is a decision between life and death. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH, RIGHTS, & JUSTICE The right-wing extremists on the Supreme Court have gutted our constitutional right to abortion care, and Congress must do everything in its power to protect this fundamental right. In Pennysvlania, the only thing protecting our access to abortion care from the Republican extremists in the state legislature is a Democratic governor’s veto. We cannot rely on a patchwork of state-level rights that are consistently under threat, we need to protect reproductive rights at the federal level. And Congress must not only safeguard the federal right to abortion, but also repeal laws like the Hyde amendment which puts care out of reach for marginalized and low-income communities and end the criminaization of abortion at the federal level. We must actively pursue legislation that codifies our abortion rights and makes reproductive health care more accessible like the Women’s Health Protection Act and the EACH Act and end the filibuster to ensure an outdated Senate rule doesn’t stand in the way of protecting our rights. Additionally, if we want to ensure the right-wing Supreme Court cannot further roll back our fundamental freedoms and rights, we must expand the Supreme Court and end lifetime appointments for unelected justices to the highest court of the land. Make no mistake, abortion bans and attempts to chip away our reproductive rights are attacks that fall hardest on the most marginalized Black and brown communities that already lack necessary access to care. Right now the maternal mortality rate for Black women is four times higher than it is for white women. Members of the LGBTQ+ community - particularly trans women of color and non-binary people - also experience major disparities in sexual and reproductive health care and worse health outcomes overall. We need to address these inequities in healthcare access and outcomes to ensure that all people have access to safe, inclusive, and affordable health care, as is their human right.	”
—Summer Lee's campaign website (2022)

2020

Summer Lee did not complete Ballotpedia's 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Summer Lee campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12	Won general	$2,959,031	$1,971,819
2022	Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34	Won general	$14,921	$41,837
2022	U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12	Won general	$1,851,679	$1,827,312
2020	Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34	Won general	$317,654	N/A**
2018	Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34	Won general	$180,168	N/A**
Grand total			$5,323,452	$3,840,969
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Notable endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section displays endorsements this individual made in elections within Ballotpedia's coverage scope.

Notable candidate endorsements by Summer Lee

Endorsee	Election	Stage	Outcome
Kamala D. Harris  source  (D, Working Families Party)	President of the United States (2024)	Primary	Lost General
Devon Taliaferro  source  (D, R)	Pittsburgh School District Board of Directors District 2 (2023)	General	Won General

Noteworthy events

Tested positive for coronavirus on January 5, 2021

See also: Politicians, candidates, and government officials diagnosed with or quarantined due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Coronavirus pandemic
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On January 5, 2021, Lee announced on Twitter that she had tested positive for coronavirus.

State legislative tenure

Committee assignments

2021-2022

Lee was assigned to the following committees:

• House Education Committee
• Health Committee
• House Judiciary Committee

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2019-2020

Lee was assigned to the following committees:

• Children & Youth Committee
• House Judiciary Committee
• House Local Government Committee

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}

Sponsored legislation

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Pennsylvania

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Pennsylvania scorecards, email suggestions to [email protected].

2022

In 2022, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 4 to November 30.

• ACLU Pennsylvania

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil rights and civil liberties issues.

• National Federation of Independent Business

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• PA Chamber of Business and Industry

Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues.

• Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard

Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues.

• The Institute for Legislative Analysis

Legislators are scored on their adherence to the limited government principles of the U.S. Constitution.

2021

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2021, click [show].

In 2021, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 5 to December 31. ACLU Pennsylvania Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil rights and civil liberties issues. PA Chamber of Business and Industry Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

2020

To view all the scorecards we found for this legislator in 2020, click [show].

In 2020, the Pennsylvania State Legislature was in session from January 7 to November 30. ACLU Pennsylvania Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to civil rights and civil liberties issues. Americans for Prosperity Pennsylvania Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. Club for Growth Foundation Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to economic issues. National Federation of Independent Business Legislators are scored on their votes on bills related to business issues. Pennsylvania Environmental Scorecard Legislators are scored on their votes on environmental issues. The American Conservative Union Legislators are scored on their votes on conservative issues.

See also

2024 Elections

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Candidate

U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

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U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Fred Keller (R)	U.S. House Pennsylvania District 12 2023-Present	Succeeded by -
Preceded by Paul Costa (D)	Pennsylvania House of Representatives District 34 2018-2022	Succeeded by Abigail Salisbury (D)

[show]

Pennsylvania's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Fetterman (D)

David McCormick (R)

Representatives

District 1

Brian Fitzpatrick (R)

District 2

Brendan Boyle (D)

District 3

Dwight Evans (D)

District 4

Madeleine Dean (D)

District 5

Mary Scanlon (D)

District 6

Chrissy Houlahan (D)

District 7

Ryan Mackenzie (R)

District 8

Rob Bresnahan (R)

District 9

Dan Meuser (R)

District 10

Scott Perry (R)

District 11

Lloyd Smucker (R)

District 12

Summer Lee (D)

District 13

John Joyce (R)

District 14

Guy Reschenthaler (R)

District 15

Glenn Thompson (R)

District 16

Mike Kelly (R)

District 17

Chris Deluzio (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (8)