2026 candidate · follow the money
Who funds Summer Lee?
What they did in office.
Sitting member of Congress · Summer L. Lee
In the U.S. House (PA-12) since 2023 · current term ends Jan 3, 2027
- Recorded yea or nay on 24 of the 24 key House floor votes captured in Hugin's snapshot
- 2 committees: Education and Workforce, Judiciary · 4 subcommittees
- 57 committees reported contributions to them this cycle · 7 committees reported outside spending for or against them
Linked to this filing by its exact FEC candidate ID (H2PA18200) in the congress-legislators roster of Oct 21, 2026. Votes are one key floor vote per bill on bills named in contractor lobbying reports (Oct 29, 2026); committee seats are the roster as of Oct 24, 2026; money counts are FEC reports for 2026 as of Oct 24, 2026. These are what Hugin's snapshots captured, not complete records, and none of them is a score or evidence of motive.
The money.
- Raised
- $1.6M
- Spent
- $929K
- Cash on hand
- $1.7M
- Individuals 81% $1.3M
- PACs & other committees 15% $240K
- Other receipts 4% $58K
Campaign totals through Oct 14, 2026. Excludes $64K moved between the candidate's own committees.
Outside groups: $31K supporting · $22 opposing ($4,480 of it designated for the general election)
Biggest spenders supporting
- WORKING FAMILIES PARTY PAC $14K
- SOLIDARITY VICTORY PAC $12K
- STRAIGHT AHEAD ORGANIZATION $3,500
- RURAL FREEDOM NETWORK $1,417
- API PA VOTES $95
Biggest spenders opposing
Largest direct PAC contributions
- CARPENTERS LEGISLATIVE IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE UNITED BROTHERHOOD OF CARPENTERS AND JOINERS $10K
- MACHINISTS NON PARTISAN POLITICAL LEAGUE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MACHINISTS & AEROSPACE WORKERS $10K
- NEA FUND FOR CHILDREN AND PUBLIC EDUCATION $10K
- UNITED STEELWORKERS POLITICAL ACTION FUND $10K
- AMERICAN FEDERATION OF STATE COUNTY & MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES P E O P L E $10K
Who gave.
Who gives $1.3M from individuals
34% in small-dollar gifts
$428K of $1.3M came unitemized: from donors whose gifts to the campaign this cycle total $200 or less, whom the campaign does not have to name.
Adding itemized gifts from donors whose itemized total is $200 or less, about 35%. Many small gifts sent through ActBlue or WinRed are itemized anyway, so the first figure runs low; this estimate groups donors by name and ZIP code as filed and counts only itemized gifts already in the FEC bulk file.
The itemized gifts below add up to $748K of the $841K the campaign reported itemizing through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet processed the rest into its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026 for this campaign.
23% from Pennsylvania · 77% from elsewhere
Of itemized gifts, by the state on each donor's mailing address. Giving from other states is lawful and common.
95% of itemized dollars came earmarked through a conduit such as ActBlue or WinRed; each gift is counted once.
Top states
- California $220K
- Pennsylvania $173K
- Texas $47K
- Illinois $42K
- Florida $40K
- New York $37K
- Missouri $28K
- District of Columbia $26K
Top employers named by donors
- UPMC $12K
- CISCO $4,750
- AHN $2,000
- MERCY $1,500
- UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH $1,050
- GOOGLE $1,010
- CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY $965
- META $750
Employers as donors wrote them on the form. A company listed here did not give this money; people who work there did.
Retired, self-employed, not employed or not given: $396K. Employers named by fewer than three donors, or filed as a person's name: $328K, not listed so no one donor is singled out.
Summary through Oct 14, 2026. Itemized gifts dated Jan 7, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, net of refunds (3,083 entries). Every itemized contribution on FEC.gov ↗
From the principal campaign committee's FEC reports; joint-fundraising transfers and later reports are not included, and no donor is named here. A contribution is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Outside money in the final weeks.
Outside spending including late reports: $31K for / $22 against · $0 in the final two weeks
Source: FEC regular reports. The final two weeks run Oct 21, 2026 to Nov 3, 2026, by the date each ad or mailing went out.
$7,973 of the $34K on late reports was filed as an estimate. A 24- or 48-hour report is due within a day or two of the spending; the spender's later regular report carries the final cost.
What it bought, per the late reports
- TV, radio & streaming TV 1% $373
- Digital ads 8% $2,590
- Mail, print & signs 20% $6,825
- Phones & texts 26% $8,807
- Canvassing & field 45% $15K
Largest late spenders for
Latest dissemination on these reports: May 19, 2026. FEC 24- and 48-hour independent-expenditure reports read November 4, 2026, with amended and re-filed reports counted once (14 entries). These reports on FEC.gov ↗
Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate and is not the candidate's money. Purposes are grouped from each spender's own description, so the groups are approximate. A dollar figure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing.
Where it went.
Where the money went $694K in itemized spending
These itemized payments cover $694K of the $929K the campaign reported spending through Oct 14, 2026. The FEC has not yet itemized the rest in its bulk file, which runs to Jun 30, 2026.
- Advertising & outreach 14% $95K
- Consultants & strategy 11% $76K
- Staff & payroll 12% $84K
- Fundraising & processing fees 38% $263K
- Polling, research & data 0.9% $6,005
- Travel, meals & events 6% $41K
- Office, technology & overhead 8% $52K
- Legal & compliance 9% $60K
- Contributions, transfers & refunds 1% $7,500
- Other or unclassified 1% $9,521
Largest payees
- NWF STRATEGIES $94K
- KIELOCH CONSULTING $90K
- GUSTO $86K
- ACTBLUE TECHNICAL SERVICES $42K
- SCALE TO WIN $38K
Paid to individuals: $96K, such as staff, contractors and reimbursements. People who were paid are not named here.
Payments dated Jan 2, 2025 to Jun 30, 2026, as itemized by the principal campaign committee in FEC reports (505 entries). Every payment on FEC.gov ↗
Grouped by each campaign's own description of the payment, so the groups are approximate. Payments of $200 or less to one payee need not be itemized, detail filed only as memo entries counts under other or unclassified, and spending by the candidate's other committees or by outside groups is not included. A payment is not evidence of a favor or wrongdoing.
Others who filed for this seat.
- James HayesRepublican · $81K raised · $22 outside
- Adam Robert ForgieDemocrat · $28K raised · $4,995 outside
- William ParkerDemocrat · $20K raised
- Leonard Benson FechterRepublican · $17K raised
Questions worth asking.
Money shows who backed a campaign, not how a person will act. Compare it with what they did and said: their votes or official actions if they have held office, their own statements, and their answers to a finding. Use the same questions for every candidate.
FEC bulk data read November 4, 2026. Campaign totals come from each filing's own FEC summary through its latest processed report. Outside spending is independent expenditures itemized in committee reports in the FEC bulk files, primaries included; late 24- and 48-hour reports, party coordinated spending, communication costs and groups that do not report to the FEC are not included. Outside spending is, by law, made without coordinating with the candidate, and it is not the candidate's money. A contribution or expenditure is not evidence of a vote, favor or wrongdoing. This page identifies the filing by its FEC candidate ID; a person can hold more than one filing.