U.S. Rep. Summer Lee wins Democratic primary against challenger Bhavini Patel

PITTSBURGH— U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive Democrat, staved off a moderate challenger to retain her Pittsburgh-area seat Tuesday.

Lee defeated Bhavini Patel, overcoming criticism that she was too far to the left for the district and too critical of President Joe Biden. The Associated Press called the race for Lee at 9:21 p.m. She will likely face Republican business executive James Hayes in November.

A freshman congresswoman, Lee won her first primary in 2022 by less than 1,000 votes. Upon entering office Lee, the first Black woman to represent Pennsylvania in Congress, became a member of “the Squad,” a group of progressive Democrats, including New York’s Alexandria Ocasio Cortez and Missouri’s Cori Bush.

While Lee has focused her reelection campaign heavily on constituent services and projects she brought home to her district, it has become a microcosm of the debate between moderates and progressives in the Democratic party. It will be an early test of progressive strength against outside spending.

Lee faced a serious challenge from Patel, who said she would be a more loyal ally to Biden. Patel also criticized Lee, who has called for a ceasefire in Gaza, of ignoring Jewish voters.

In her victory speech posted on social media, Lee framed her win as proof of the strength of progressive politics and a message of peace.

“We won’t be ashamed and we won’t put our heads down when we say that we want no more wars, when we say that people deserve dignity and rights and self determination, whether they are Jewish or Muslim or Black or white. Whether they are in Gaza or they are in Pakistan or if they’re in Haiti or if they’re in Sudan,” Lee said.

Even among her supporters Lee’s position on Israel was controversial especially among voters in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood in Pittsburgh, which has a significant Jewish population.

The day after Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, Pittsburgh residents rallied in support of Israel. U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat who represents other parts of Allegheny County, attended the event, but Lee did not. Lee said at a candidate forum that she could not attend every event because she has “a job in Washington, D.C.”

”I think she lost a lot of support because of that,” said Michele Feingold, 66, who voted for Patel after supporting Lee in the past. Feingold is a member of the local 14th Ward Democratic Committee, which endorsed Lee.

Liz Healy, 77, the chair of the local committee, said she was voting for Lee even though she felt supporting her could be misconstrued to suggest that she doesn’t embrace the feelings of fear in the community after Oct. 7.

“But I really believe that in terms of the progressive values that I hold, that Summer is the best person who’s going to be able to represent those,” she said.

Patel’s campaign was buoyed by donations from Republican voters and support from Moderate PAC, which is funded by a Pennsylvania billionaire who has donated to Republicans. Healy said she was concerned Patel would be pressured to appease those donors in office.

Patel thanked her supporters while looking ahead to November.

“This race was about so much more than my opponent,” she said in a statement. “It was about passing common sense laws that put money in working families’ pockets. It was about standing up to hate and stopping antisemitism. And it was about making sure President Biden gets re-elected in November.”