NORTH IRWIN, Pa. — U.S. Rep. Summer Lee joined Republican and Democratic officials in Westmoreland County to mark the allocation of federal funds for bridge reconstruction. However, behind her was a large hole instead of a bridge.
In the small town near Pittsburgh, which leans more conservative despite being in a heavily Democratic area, Lee stated, “We’re not just providing materials for road and bridge construction. We’re investing in the people.”
Lee, who is Pennsylvania’s most progressive representative, is the only incumbent Democrat facing a strong challenger in the upcoming primary. Her campaign reflects the larger debate between progressive and moderate Democrats leading up to the November general election, and it’s becoming an early test of progressive strength against outside financial support.
As a new Democratic representative and the first Black woman to hold this position in the state, Lee won her previous primary by fewer than 1,000 votes in 2022. Her focus for reelection in the district, which covers parts of Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties, is on serving constituents and highlighting the over $1 billion she has secured for projects in Western Pennsylvania.
However, Lee’s primary opponent, Bhavini Patel, argues that Lee is too extreme for the district and is against President Joe Biden, a message supported by an external group funded by Pennsylvania billionaire Jeffrey Yass. Patel’s supporters point to Lee’s advocacy on progressive issues, such as calling for a halt to the conflict in Gaza and voting against the recent government funding bill.
“Our campaign seeks to represent the voices of everyone,” said Patel, who is a member of the Edgewood Borough Council. “Not just the extreme groups, but the mainstream Democratic voice.”
However, Lee believes that criticizing the left wing of the party could discourage Democratic voter turnout in November.
“The battles happening in these election cycles are defining for generations,” Lee said. “That's the coalition President Joe Biden will need…which means we can't afford to alienate them during the primaries and then expect them to vote again later.”
In the general election, Lee or Patel will likely compete against business executive James Hayes, who is running uncontested in the Republican primary.
Funding from outside sources
Patel, a first-time candidate, was raised by a single mother who immigrated to Pittsburgh from India and started a food truck business. She became involved in politics as an assistant to former Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, a longtime Democratic official.
She lags behind Lee in endorsements and funding, but she is supported by Moderate PAC, a group funded by Yass, a billionaire from the Philadelphia suburbs known for heavy contributions to GOP candidates. Moderate PAC has spent $586,000 on ads highlighting Patel's background as a first-generation college student and portraying Lee as an extreme opponent of Biden.
A recent ad states, “She even voted against raising the debt ceiling, risking America’s credit to gain attention as a far-left media figure.”
Lee has condemned Patel for accepting donations from Republicans and criticized the broader GOP involvement in Democratic primaries.
“This person is so Republican that even Donald Trump himself is considering him for a potential cabinet secretary,” Lee stated about Yass, who has been suggested as a possible treasury secretary.
Patel has accused Lee of exaggerating her role in delivering federal funds to the district, some of which was assigned before Lee's election. She defended her supporters and pointed out that Lee receives a significant amount of donations from out-of-state.
“I believe my opponent wishes she were competing against a Republican,” Patel said. “She's been attempting to portray me as one. … I have no affiliation with external organizations influencing this race.”
Lee's position is much stronger than in 2022, when the pro-Israel group AIPAC’s political affiliate spent more than $2 million against her and she was outspent 4-1. That group has yet to get involved in this year’s race. Meanwhile, Lee is getting outside help from a trio of progressive PACs.
“This should be a major concern for Democrats,” said Usamah Andrabi, spokesperson for the Justice Democrats PAC, which supports Lee. “Across the country, Republican billionaires are entering Democratic primaries and spending millions to criticize Democrats for not being sufficiently Democrat.”
Israel as a point of contention
Lee was the first Pennsylvania representative in Congress to call for a cease-fire in Gaza, and she’s been Pennsylvania’s most vocal critic of Biden on the war.
This has led to intense debates between her and Patel, including in January, when Patel accused Lee of disregarding pro-Israel voters and “stoking antisemitism,” in social media posts.
Lee has expressed concern for her Jewish constituents, and she withdrew from a speaking engagement at a February Council on American — Islamic Relations banquet in Philadelphia after critics noted it featured speakers with a history of making antisemitic and homophobic statements. Lee said she did not endorse the statements and wanted “to ensure my Jewish and LGBTQ+ constituents know their concerns are heard.”
Lee’s district includes the Squirrel Hill synagogue that houses three Jewish congregations attacked in 2018 by a gunman who killed 11 people.
While Lee has the support of the Allegheny County Democratic Party, an independent Democratic ward in Squirrel Hill backed Patel. Karen Hochenberg, the group’s president, said that vote came after an influx of new members joined the club following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
“I think some of her actions, not necessarily the policies, but some actions have been very hurtful to the Jewish community in Pittsburgh and I think … Summer is going to possibly pay a price for that,” Hochenberg said.
Lisa Messineo, a Lee supporter, said she worries Lee’s stance on Gaza may hurt her, though she thinks plenty of voters in the region share the platform.
“You don’t have to be anti-Israel, or antisemitic to realize what’s happening in Gaza is a tragedy,” said Messineo, a member of the Penn Stratford Democrats. “But a lot of the old guard Democrats say all she wants to be is a member of the Squad. They don’t look at the work she does.”
The top supporter for Biden
Lee has highlighted federal funds, some of it from laws supported by Biden — for bridges, abandoned wells, and lead pipe removal — as well as her connection to constituents. In North Irwin, she promised to do even more to aid small towns.
However, one of Patel’s arguments is that it’s challenging for Lee to effectively promote the president’s achievements when she has also criticized him and voted against some of the bills he’s promoting.
“Western Pennsylvania is extremely important to getting Biden reelected,” Patel said. “What we need is someone who’s going to loudly and proudly promote the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law … and discuss how Biden has delivered for this region.”
Lee was not in Congress when the Inflation Reduction Act or the Infrastructure Law votes took place. She opposed raising the debt ceiling, which had removed funding from SNAP recipients, and she was one of 22 Democrats who voted against a recent government funding bill due to the military aid it included for Israel.
She argues that she has not voted against a bill when her party needed her vote to pass it.
“There’s no vote that we go into that we don’t have a whip count,” Lee said. “And we don’t know where someone is voting or why they’re voting that way.”
And Lee, who earlier this year joined Vice President Kamala Harris for a campaign event in Pittsburgh, believes votes challenging her party attract younger, progressive voters, whom Biden needs in November.
“When they see us taking that stand and speaking truth to power … they get encouraged by that,” Lee said. “And it increases our likelihood to bring new people to the party.”
