Hi John, thank you for joining this movement.
I’m Summer Lee, a Pennsylvania state legislator born and raised in the Mon Valley, here in the heart of Pennsylvania’s 12th District.
This past October, I announced my run for Congress to represent Western Pennsylvania, and since then we’ve been running full-steam ahead. If you’re short on time, will you consider pitching in $5 to help us keep up the momentum?
Let’s talk about why I’m running.
I was raised by a single mother who worked multiple jobs to keep our family afloat. I know what it’s like for a young family to struggle to get by in a tough economy.
Growing up in North Braddock, the air was thick with pollution from the Mon Valley steel mills. My neighbors and I have seen firsthand how corporations will choose their own wealth over our health, and put profits over people — forcing communities like mine to rely on jobs that make us sick, while making us believe we had no other choice.
When I went to college — like many kids from my neighborhood — I didn’t have extra money to afford my tuition. Instead, I took on student debt that I still carry to this day. It’s affected every decision I’ve made since.
After law school, I came home and led the successful campaign to unseat local school board members who failed to address repeated incidents of police and faculty violence against students at my old high school. I realized my community was being left behind by the politicians we elected. So I decided to stand up for my community and run for State Representative, winning with nearly 70% of the vote against a 20-year incumbent.
My lived experience growing up here is exactly why I’m running for Congress now. Politicians always talk about how they’re for families like mine. But they don’t act with the urgency that our crises demand — because change doesn’t have to be today when you don’t live in the struggles of today.
We need elected officials who don’t just talk the talk. We need ones who’ll fight the fight — for environmental justice, union jobs, and racial equity.
We’ve built a powerful grassroots movement that reaches every corner of our district and beyond, and I know we can finally win on key priorities like a Green New Deal, a living wage, Medicare for All, and justice reform, but we can’t do it without the support of people like you, John.
I believe leaders should remain accountable to the people, that’s why our campaign doesn’t take a dime from corporate PACs. Will you make a gift today to help power this campaign? Every dollar helps us reach out to every single voter in our district.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for putting your faith in me. It’s an honor to be in this movement with you.
Summer Lee
Candidate for Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District
