Carnegie Mellon University

Dietrich College alumna Susie Lee will represent Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

November 08, 2018

Dietrich College Alumna Susie Lee Elected to Congress

By Abby Simmons

The Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences congratulates alumna Susie Lee on her election to Congress. She will represent Nevada’s 3
rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Lee graduated from the Dietrich College in 1989 with a major in policy and management, offered by the Department of Social and Decision Sciences. She also earned a master’s degree in public policy and management from the Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy in 1990 before launching a career as an advocate for education and the homeless.

The Hill reports, “In the ‘Year of the Woman,’ Lee was part of the historic wave of female candidates — most of them Democrats — to run for Congress, and her campaign message focused intently on promises to fight for economic and health care protections for women and working-class families. She stuck with a centrist message, rejecting proposals from more liberal Democrats for a Medicare-for-all health system and the elimination of U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement.”

A Democrat, Lee defeated Republican candidate Danny Tarkanian for Nevada’s Southernmost seat in the U.S. House. Known for its history as a swing district, it includes the area south of Las Vegas.

Lee explained her motivation for running for Congress on her campaign website.

“My career has been about taking on tough problems, rolling up my sleeves, and bringing people together to find solutions that improve people's lives. In the meantime, the dysfunction and gridlock in Washington has been making it harder for Nevada families to get ahead. I know that our leaders in Washington should work together to find real solutions to problems in our community,” Lee said.

Lee was born in Canton, Ohio, and moved to Las Vegas in 1993. At that time, she became the founding director of After-School All-Stars, which serves more than 7,000 students every day after school. In 2010, she was named president of Communities In Schools of Nevada (CIS), a leading dropout-prevention organization. Under her leadership, organization has grown to serve over 64,000 students in 63 schools in the state.