Susie Lee Bio
Suzanne Marie Lee (née Kelley; born November 7, 1966) is an American politician who has served as the United States representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents southern Las Vegas and much of unincorporated Clark County. Before entering Congress, she built a career as a nonprofit leader in Las Vegas focused on youth services and dropout prevention.
Born and raised in Canton, Ohio, Lee earned both a Bachelor of Arts in policy management and a Master of Science in public management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is the first in her family to attend college and went on to become a founding director of the Las Vegas chapter of the Inner-City Games and board chair of Communities in Schools of Nevada.
Early Life and Background
Suzanne Marie Kelley was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, as one of eight children. Her father, Warren Kelley, was a Korean War veteran and structural engineer, and her mother, Joan Kelley, was a homemaker. She grew up in a large working family in northeastern Ohio and had her first job at the age of eight, delivering newspapers for The Canton Repository.
Lee attended McKinley High School in Canton, where she was a member of the swim team. She graduated from high school in 1985 and continued her education at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in policy management followed by a Master of Science degree in public management, completing her graduate studies in 1990.
Her education in policy and public management at Carnegie Mellon helped shape her later interest in community work and public service. Coming from a large family with a strong work ethic, she developed an early appreciation for organized effort and civic responsibility.
Path to US Politics
After moving to Las Vegas in 1993, Lee became a founding director of the city’s chapter of the Inner-City Games, an organization that provides after-school programs for children and is now known as After-School All-Stars. In this role she helped launch programming designed to give young people safe and supportive places to learn outside school hours.
In 2011 she became the board chair of Communities in Schools of Nevada, a dropout prevention organization that works with students to keep them on track toward graduation. Her years leading and governing nonprofit organizations gave her direct experience with education, workforce, and family issues in southern Nevada.
Lee first ran for federal office in Nevada’s 4th congressional district but lost the primary to Ruben Kihuen, placing third behind Lucy Flores. The experience prepared her for a second campaign two years later, when she set her sights on Nevada’s 3rd congressional district.
Susie Lee Career
Early Career (2016)
Lee’s political career began in 2016 with her primary run in Nevada’s 4th congressional district. Facing a crowded field, she finished third behind former state assemblywoman Lucy Flores and ultimately lost the Democratic primary to Ruben Kihuen by 19 points. The campaign introduced her to voters across the Las Vegas area and established her as a voice on education and workforce issues.
After the loss, Lee returned to her nonprofit work and continued building ties in southern Nevada’s civic and business communities. The relationships she developed through Inner-City Games and Communities in Schools would later form the foundation of her second campaign.
Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District Breakthrough (2018)
In 2018, Lee ran for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district to succeed Jacky Rosen, who was leaving the seat to run for the United States Senate. She won the seven-way Democratic primary with 66.9 percent of the vote, demonstrating broad support within the party. In the general election, she defeated Republican nominee Danny Tarkanian with 52 percent of the vote, flipping the seat for Democrats.
Lee was sworn into Congress on January 3, 2019, and was appointed to the Education and Labor and the Veterans’ Affairs committees during the 116th Congress. That month, she joined other lawmakers in forgoing her paycheck in solidarity with federal workers affected by the government shutdown of 2019. In February, she co-sponsored the Raise the Wage Act, which aimed to gradually increase the federal minimum wage to fifteen dollars per hour by 2024.
She also worked with Nevada’s congressional delegation to prevent the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste facility from becoming operational and joined bipartisan efforts to protect Nevada’s environment and economy. In December 2019, Lee voted in favor of both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.
Appropriations and National Service Era (2020–Present)
In 2020, Lee sponsored the bipartisan LWCF Permanent Funding Act to secure full and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which supports outdoor recreation and conservation efforts. She also joined Nevada’s congressional delegation to push for financial relief for the state’s tourism industry during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped secure regulatory changes that allowed small gaming businesses to apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans. In May 2020, she voted for the three trillion dollar Heroes Act.
Lee was reelected to a second term in 2020, winning the three-way Democratic primary with 82.8 percent of the vote and defeating Republican nominee Dan Rodimer in the general election with 48.8 percent of the vote. In 2021, she was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee during the 117th Congress and supported the SAFE Banking Act to allow the cannabis industry access to banking services. She also voted for the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in November 2021.
She was reelected again in 2022, defeating Republican April Becker with 52 percent of the vote, and was reelected in 2024, defeating Republican Drew Johnson with 51 percent of the vote. In 2023, she was appointed to the Appropriations and Natural Resources committees during the 118th Congress and helped secure federal funding for Nevada’s water infrastructure, including forty million dollars to improve drinking water quality. In April 2024, she co-sponsored the bipartisan Seniors Securing Access to Vital and Essential Prescription Drugs Act. In 2025, Lee was one of forty-six House Democrats who joined all Republicans to vote for the Laken Riley Act.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among her signature moments in Congress, Lee’s vote for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump in December 2019 marked one of her most high-profile stands. Her appointment to the House Appropriations Committee in 2021 also represented a major step forward, giving her direct influence over federal spending decisions affecting Nevada and the nation.
Susie Lee Career Wins
Susie Lee has won four consecutive elections to the United States House of Representatives, beginning with her 2018 victory in Nevada’s 3rd congressional district. Her first win came against Republican Danny Tarkanian with 52 percent of the vote, and she has since secured reelection in 2020, 2022, and 2024, demonstrating consistent support among southern Nevada voters.
Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District Highlights
Lee’s first congressional victory in 2018 came after a dominant 66.9 percent showing in the seven-way Democratic primary and a 52 percent general-election win over Republican Danny Tarkanian. Her most recent win came in 2024, when she defeated Republican Drew Johnson with 51 percent of the vote. Across her tenure she has also won a 2020 primary with 82.8 percent of the vote and a 2022 general election with 52 percent against April Becker.
Susie Lee Family
Family Background and Personal Lineage
Susie Lee was born Suzanne Marie Kelley in Canton, Ohio, as one of eight children. Her father, Warren Kelley, was a Korean War veteran and structural engineer, while her mother, Joan Kelley, was a homemaker. The large Kelley family shaped her early work ethic, which she has often cited as a foundation for her career in public service.
Personal Life
Lee lives in Las Vegas with her two children. She and her former husband, casino executive Dan Lee, were married from 2000 to 2021 and announced their divorce in May 2021. During their marriage, the couple owned seventeen investment properties, and her former husband owned a turboprop plane. She is Roman Catholic.