Summer
Lee

Summer Lee is an outspoken advocate for climate and environmental justice who has fought for clean air, clean water, and healthy communities as a Pennsylvania state representative.

After earning her law degree from Howard University School of Law with a specialization in civil rights and constitutional law, Lee returned to her hometown of Pittsburgh to organize and conduct voter outreach initiatives with the Pennsylvania Democratic Party. In 2018, she ran for office and became the first Black woman from Southwestern Pennsylvania to serve in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. As a legislator, she sponsored and cosponsored several bills related to climate, environmental justice, and democracy reform, including efforts to achieve 100% clean energy by 2050, implement energy efficiency tax credits, protect clean air and water, address PFAS pollution, and support community solar. She also worked alongside community leaders and groups across the Mon Valley to stop a dangerous fracking proposal.

As a representative, Lee will continue to be a champion for communities’ rights to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment, centering frontline communities and the creation of good-paying union jobs. Lee is the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.

Lee joins the U.S. House to fill the seat of retiring Representative Mike Doyle, who earned an 80% lifetime score on LCV’s National Environmental Scorecard.

In her own words:

“The fight for environmental justice is what called me to run for office – because every day the people in my community are forced to breathe some of the most toxic air in the country. Every single one of us deserves clean air and water, a healthy environment, and political leaders who will fight for these rights.”
– LCVAF Press Release