Progressive Democrat Summer Lee decisively won her bid for a U.S. House seat on November 8, 2022, breaking barriers as the first Black woman elected to Congress from Pennsylvania.
Lee Defeats Republican Challenger in District Race
Lee triumphed over Republican candidate Mike Doyle in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District contest. She will now represent a district that covers several suburbs south of Pittsburgh.
The civil rights lawyer and former labor organizer significantly out-fundraised her opponent. Lee takes both her legal experience and activist spirit with her to Washington.
State House Trailblazer Becomes Congressional Pioneer
In 2018, Lee made history as the first African American woman from western Pennsylvania elected to the state legislature in Harrisburg.
After her election, the Congresswoman-elect was poisoned to join the progressive Congressional bloc known informally as “The Squad.” She had campaigned on issues like raising wages, expanding healthcare access and taxing corporations and the ultra-wealthy.
Victory Shows Grassroots Strength Against Big Spending
Despite being a safely Democratic district, Republicans still spent over $1 million trying to flip PA-12 with attack ads against Lee. Additional millions flowed in from pro-Israel groups.
Lee prevailed by mobilizing a diverse grassroots coalition rather than relying on big donor dollars. Her win proves that community organizing can overcome outside special interest spending.
Summer Lee has been committed to championing working-class families. She also intends to open doors for more candidates from marginalized communities to achieve increased representation in politics.
