'Squad' member Summer Lee wins Pennsylvania House primary election
NBC News projects that Rep. Summer Lee, a progressive member of the “Squad,” defeated fellow Democrat Bhavini Patel in Pennsylvania’s 12th District primary.
Progressive Rep. Summer Lee fended off a primary challenge from Edgewood Borough Council member Bhavini Patel, NBC News projects, in a race that served as an early test of how Democratic voters feel about the Israel-Hamas war and concerns over rising antisemitism at home.
With 99% of the expected vote counted, Lee held a 21-point edge over Patel.
In a victory speech in Pittsburgh, Lee said, "This movement is stronger than whatever they want to throw at us" and is "stronger than every GOP billionaire." She called for peace "from Pittsburgh to Palestine."
“Our movement is expansive enough and big enough for each and every one of us,” she said in a call out to those who opposed her during the primary. “We won’t be ashamed and put our heads down when we say that we want no more wars, when we say that people deserve dignity and human rights and self-determination whether they are Jewish or Muslim or Black or white or if they’re in Gaza or in Pakistan or in Haiti.”
Following her defeat, Patel said in a statement that while the result was disappointing, the “race was far from a loss.”
Rating: 5