Laurel Lee Bio
Laurel Moore Lee (born March 26, 1974) is an American attorney, former state judge, and Republican politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida’s 15th congressional district since 2023. A University of Florida alumna, she previously served as Florida’s 30th secretary of state from 2019 to 2022 and as a judge on Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court from 2013 to 2019. She is known for her work on national security, election administration, and technology policy.
Before entering public office, Lee built a legal career in private practice, federal public defense, and federal prosecution, where she coordinated task forces addressing the sexual exploitation of children and violence against women. Her combination of courtroom experience and statewide administrative work shaped her transition to Congress.
Early Life and Background
Lee was born on March 26, 1974, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. She is the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer who later attained the rank of major general and a public-school teacher. Her upbringing in a military family exposed her to public service and discipline from an early age.
She graduated from the University of Florida, where she was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 1999 and was a member of Florida Blue Key. She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law, completing both her undergraduate and legal education at the same institution.
Path to US Politics
Lee began her legal career at the firm Carlton Fields, P.A., specializing in antitrust and complex business litigation. She later served as an Assistant Federal Public Defender and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, broadening her experience across criminal and civil practice.
As a federal prosecutor, she coordinated the federal-state Task Force on the Sexual Exploitation of Children and served as the Violence Against Women Act coordinator. In 2013, Governor Rick Scott appointed her to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County, where she was subsequently elected without opposition in 2014 and served on several Florida Supreme Court commissions.
Laurel Lee Career
Early Career (2013–2018)
Lee joined the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in 2013 after her gubernatorial appointment. She presided over civil, appellate, and domestic relations cases, earning a reputation for careful case management on a busy trial bench.
During this period, she also served on Florida Supreme Court commissions, contributing to statewide judicial policy discussions. Her judicial experience established her credibility on legal and constitutional matters before she moved into executive administration.
Florida Secretary of State (2019–2022)
In January 2019, Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Lee as Florida’s 30th secretary of state. In that role, she oversaw Florida’s elections, corporate registrations, and cultural affairs, becoming a leading statewide administrator for election policy.
The 2020 general election saw record turnout of more than 11 million ballots in Florida, the highest in nearly three decades, and was widely regarded as secure and efficient. Under her leadership, the Department of State implemented election security measures, referred fraudulent petition forms for investigation, and advanced voter registration safeguards. Lee resigned on May 16, 2022, to run for Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives (2023–Present)
Lee won election to Florida’s 15th congressional district in 2022, defeating Democrat Alan Cohn, and was sworn in on January 3, 2023. She was re-elected in 2024, defeating Democrat Pat Kemp, securing a second term in Congress.
In the House, she was the lead sponsor of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISA), a bill to reauthorize the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act including Section 702. She also introduced the bipartisan DEFIANCE Act, addressing non-consensual deepfake intimate images. She serves on the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and sits on subcommittees of the Judiciary Committee and on the Energy and Commerce Committee.
In 2024, Lee was named as an impeachment manager in the case against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and was appointed to the bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump. Her congressional work has emphasized national security, law enforcement, and technology policy.
Notable Events and Milestones
Lee’s career milestones include coordinating Florida’s record 2020 election as secretary of state, leading the RISA intelligence reform bill in Congress, and serving as an impeachment manager in the Mayorkas proceedings. Her combination of judicial, administrative, and legislative service is unusual in modern Florida politics.
Laurel Lee Career Wins
Lee’s verified electoral victories include her 2014 unopposed retention on the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court, her 2022 win for Florida’s 15th congressional district, and her 2024 re-election to the same seat. Her leadership of Florida’s 2020 election administration is widely cited as a defining professional achievement.
Congressional Election Highlights
In 2022, Lee won Florida’s 15th congressional district by defeating Democrat Alan Cohn and was sworn in on January 3, 2023. In 2024, she secured re-election by defeating Democrat Pat Kemp, extending her tenure in the U.S. House.
Other Achievements
Lee was inducted into the University of Florida Hall of Fame in 1999 and was a member of Florida Blue Key. She has also served as Vice Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus and as a member of the Republican Study Committee, the Congressional Western Caucus, and the Everglades Caucus.
Laurel Lee Family
Family Background and Service Lineage
Lee is the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer who attained the rank of major general and a public-school teacher. Her father’s military career placed her early years at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio and shaped a family tradition of public service.
Personal Life
Lee is married to Tom Lee, former president of the Florida Senate. The couple has three children and lives in the Brandon area near Tampa, Florida. She has volunteered with Bay Area Legal Services’ Domestic Violence Assistance Project and has served on the board of the Emergency Care Help Organization (E.C.H.O.) of Brandon.