Summer Lee, James Hayes set for rematch in Pa.’s 12th Congressional District

The progressive incumbent and the GOP challenger spar over the economy, immigration and “extreme” politics.

By JUSTIN VELLUCCI
TribLive

Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Summer Lee faces a rematch with Republican James Hayes in her bid for a third term representing Pennsylvania’s deep-blue 12th Congressional District.

Lee, of Swissvale, defeated Shadyside’s Hayes by 13 percentage points two years ago in the district that includes Pittsburgh, suburbs in much of eastern and southern Allegheny County and communities in western Westmoreland County. Mon Valley communities in the district include the Allegheny County communities of Clairton, Dravosburg Elizabeth Borough, Elizabeth Township, Forward Township, Glassport, Jefferson Hills, Liberty, McKeesport, Port Vue, Versailles, West Elizabeth, West Mifflin, White Oak, and the Westmoreland County communities of Sewickley and South Huntingdon townships and Sutersville.

This year, Lee, 38, trounced East Liberty’s Will Parker by a 4-to-1 margin in the May primary to earn the Democratic nomination. Hayes, 65, was unopposed for the Republican nomination.

Lee has developed a reputation as a progressive firebrand during her time in Congress. An analysis by the Center for American Progress showed she was one of 14 members of Congress who voted in line with policies supported by President Donald Trump 0% of the time last year.

She has championed issues related to environmental justice and healthcare access and, as a former member of the House Oversight Committee, led an effort to subpoena the Justice Department for the full release of the Epstein files.

“Republicans have control of the House, Senate and the presidency and all they have been able to deliver has been higher grocery prices, housing costs, energy costs and healthcare costs,” Lee told TribLive.

Hayes, an economist, describes himself as a common-sense conservative who presents a stark contrast to Lee, whom he labels as a leftwing politician with a radical agenda. He said he wants to supercharge investment in American manufacturing and curb wasteful government spending in Washington.

Hayes, framing himself as an outsider, says the 12th District will benefit if voters send him and his business- driven approach to Washington.

“I am not a politician,” Hayes said.

Background stories

Both candidates are Pennsylvania natives with multiple degrees who have had careers outside politics.

Lee, raised in North Braddock, graduated from Woodland Hills High School before going on to earn a bachelor’s degree in journalism with minors in international studies and French from Penn State and a law degree from Howard University.

After working as an attorney and a community and labor organizer, she served two terms in the state House before being elected to the U.S. House. She became the first Black woman elected to represent Pennsylvania in Congress.

Hayes, who grew up in Lancaster County, earned a bachelor’s degree in international economics from Georgetown University, a master’s in economics and policy from Princeton, an MBA in finance and accounting from the University of Chicago and a doctorate in business administration from Case Western Reserve.

His professional background includes stints as a vice president at Wabtec (Westinghouse Air Brake Technologies Corp.), assistant vice president at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond in Virginia and director at Eaton Corp., Tyco Fire & Security and Motorola. He currently works in strategic planning and acquisitions.

Running on her record

Lee told TribLive she’s running on her record.

Her campaign said she’s helped bring $2.7 billion in federal investment back to her district, and it also pointed to Lee’s nearly perfect attendance record in Congress. From January 2023 through last month, she missed just 1 of 1,886 roll call votes in the House, according to the accountability website Gov-Track.us. That’s an absence record of 0.1%, compared with a lifetime median of 2% among all members of Congress.

Lee, a member of the House Judiciary and Education & Workforce c ommi t tees, said her team has “pos itioned ourselves as national leaders in the fight to get money out of politics” by supporting a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

Outside spending in politics has exploded since 2010, when groups including Citizens United won court decisions allowing corporations, unions and individuals to make unlimited contributions to super PACs as long as the groups don’t deal directly with candidates or political parties.

“Our democracy should belong to ordinary people — not billionaires, corporations, super PACs or powerful special interests with enough money to make politicians forget who sent them to Washington in the first place,” she added.

Lee has a significant campaign fundraising advantage over Hayes. Her campaign war chest, as of June 30, reported $1.3 million in campaign contributions, Federal Election Commission filings show. By comparison, since Jan. 1, 2025, Hayes has raised about $40,000.

A critic of Trump’s federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies, Lee has slammed Hayes for supporting “extreme” political stances.

“Where I differ from my opponent is that I cannot support the Trump administration’s extreme, right-wing and corrupt agenda,” Lee said in a prepared statement.

Lee has called the Nov. 3 vote “a referendum on the Trump presidency.”

“Congress can either be a check on presidential power or hand the president a blank check,” Lee said. “Voters are choosing who represents their community. But they’re also choosing what kind of Congress Donald Trump will face for the final two years of his term.”

Pro-growth platform

Hayes told TribLive that, if elected, he wants to pair up with U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Squirrel Hill, and others to grow Pennsylvania’s energy economy.

“We have this unique, God-given resource here — natural gas — and we should be taking more advantage of that,” Hayes said. “I think there’s a great opportunity for us to lead in the nation, perhaps be the center for energy in the nation.”

He said one way to create more jobs in Pennsylvania and across the nation — and to buoy the economy — is to slash through bureaucratic red tape and “improve the permitting processes” for development projects, Hayes said. He claimed recently that Lee “seeks to paralyze the development of businesses.”

“If we have these sorts of obstacles to business, we’re never going to move forward,” he said.

Hayes pointed to some areas where he and Lee are not so far apart.

“Where (Lee and I) agree is that, when companies invest and grow and prosper, that prosperity should be shared with workers,” he said.

“I think we also agree that we want industry to be responsible and to care for the environment,” he added. “I don’t see it as a tradeoff between protecting the environment and running a business.”

Hayes, the son of a steelworker, has also advocated for tougher stances on fighting crime since his son was killed in New Kensington in 2022. The case remains unsolved.

Hayes has played down the idea that this year’s election will be a “referendum” on Trump but has voiced support for the president. He campaigned with the Trump-Vance team in 2024.

“I was proud to share my thoughts on why supporting energy and controlling our borders will help bring prosperity and security back to our country!” Hayes wrote on Facebook in October 2024, alongside photos of him posing with then-candidate JD Vance.

Democratic advantage

The 12th District is a Democratic stronghold, with Democrats outnumbering Republicans more than 2-to-1, election records show. It’s the fourth-most left-leaning congressional district in Pennsylvania, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index.

When forecasting election results, analysts often focus on Pittsburgh, the district’s most populous city, where Democrats running for local office drew an average of 82% of the total votes in the 2025 general election.

But in the 12th District, there are more registered voters outside Pittsburgh than living in it. Of the district’s nearly 560,000 registered voters, nearly 60% — more than 330,000 voters — live outside the city.

The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan group, called the district a “solid” Democratic seat in this year’s election cycle, while Polymarket, a widely cited predictions market, has given the incumbent Lee a 95% chance of reelection.

What others are saying

Westmoreland County resident Mike Smith plans to vote for Hayes this November. He said he feels the GOP candidate can do more to help reduce crime in America.

“There’s still too much violent crime here … and I think Summer Lee’s not on the side of getting more resources to police,” said Smith, 38, of Trafford, a former ironworker now employed in real estate and development.

Smith said he’s voted for Republican and Democratic candidates over the years. He likes to weigh his vote on policy — not party.

“I look at the core ideals of the candidate and ask, ‘What do we need at this moment?’ ” Smith said. “I think, right now, we just need more balance.”

Brian Weismantle, who heads the Republican Committee of Allegheny County, said angry extremism from the political left does not give Americans that balance.

“A lot of people are behind James Hayes — he’s a contender,” said Weismantle, a retired Pittsburgh police officer. “And (Lee’s) views, the nonsense, it’s going to go against her. People are starting to wake up and realize we need to go on a different path.”

Democratic committee member Britt Meidenbauer said she also looks at candidates’ character and ideals. The project manager at a leadership development company said she likes what she sees in Summer Lee.

“Since I’ve known her, I’ve always admired how she stays true to herself — and fights for everybody,” Meidenbauer, 56, of Bethel Park, said.

Shawn Alfonso Wells, a Democratic council member in Lee’s adopted hometown of Swissvale, agreed. She first met Lee around 2018.

“My first impression was that she was authentic — and a little fiery, which I liked,” Wells, 55, said.

Wells also said she thinks “the tide has turned” on Trump. The University of Pittsburgh instructor and administrator said many Americans are going to vote with their wallets — and over issues like inflation and the cost of gasoline and groceries.

“And I’m not the only one who’s probably feeling like this,” she said.