Suzanne Marie Lee (née Kelley; born November 7, 1966)^[1] is an American politician from the state of Nevada. As a member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the U. S. representative for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district since 2019.^[2] Lee was the founding director of the Inner-City Games in Las Vegas and president of Communities In Schools of Nevada.^[3]

Suzanne Marie Kelley^[4] was born and raised in Canton, Ohio, in a working-class family as one of eight children.^[5] Her father, Warren Kelley, was a Korean War veteran and worked at a steel plant, while her mother, Joan Kelley, was a homemaker who also taught swimming lessons.^[5] At the age of eight, Suzanne had her first job delivering newspapers for The Canton Repository.^[5]

Lee attended McKinley High School in Canton, where she was an active member of the school’s swim team.^[5] She graduated from high school in 1985 and went to college in Pennsylvania.^[5] There she earned both her bachelor of arts degree in policy management and a master of science degree in public management from Carnegie Mellon University,^[3] receiving her master’s degree in 1990.^[4] During this time, she had different part-time jobs, including working as a cafeteria worker, caregiver, and aerobics instructor and received federal subsidy Pell grants, to pay for her education.^[3]

After moving to Las Vegas in 1993, Lee became the founding director of the Inner-City Games, now known as the After-School All-Stars, which conducts after-school programs for children.^[3] Beginning in 2010, Lee served as the president of Communities In Schools of Nevada, a dropout prevention organization.^[6]

Lee has served on the Superintendent’s Educational Opportunities Advisory Committee, Prime 6 Advisory Committee, Clark County School District English Language Learners Program Task Force, State Accountability Advisory Committee, UNLV‘s Lincy Institute Education Committee Advisory Board, and Guinn Center Board of Directors.^[7]

Lee ran for the United States House of Representatives in Nevada’s 4th congressional district.^[8] She lost the primary to Ruben Kihuen by 19 points, placing third behind former state assemblywoman Lucy Flores, who received 25.6% of the vote.

Lee ran for Nevada’s 3rd congressional district to succeed Jacky Rosen, who retired after one term to run for the United States Senate.^[9][10] Lee won the seven-way primary election with 66.9% of the vote.^[11] She defeated Republican nominee Danny Tarkanian in the general election with 52% of the vote.^[12]

Lee ran for reelection to a second term.^[13] She won the three-way primary election with 82.8% of the vote.^[14] She defeated Republican nominee Dan Rodimer in the general election with 48.8% of the vote.^[15]

Lee was reelected in the 2022 elections.^[16] She defeated Republican April Becker, a lawyer in the general election with 52% of the vote.^[17]

On December 18, 2019, Lee voted for both articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump.^[18]

In 2020, Lee lobbied the federal government to provide aid to Nevada’s gaming industry. Federal agencies implemented the regulatory change she was seeking, which allowed businesses with fewer than 500 employees that derive more than half of their income from gaming to apply for Paycheck Protection Program loans. Two weeks after the change went into effect, Full House, a gambling company led by Lee’s husband, secured two loans totaling $5.6 million. Lee said she became aware of the company’s plan to apply for PPP loans several days before its loan application was submitted but had no role in its decision to apply. Lee and her husband own several millions of dollars in Full House stock and stock options.^[19][20][21]

In September 2021, it was reported that Lee had failed to properly disclose over 200 personal stock trades. The trades were estimated to be worth as much as $3.3 million.^[22]

• United States House Committee on Appropriations^[23]
  • Energy and Water Development Subcommittee^[24]
  • Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Subcommittee^[25]
• United States House Committee on Natural Resources^[26]
  • Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee^[27]
  • Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee^[28]

• New Democrat Coalition (whip)^[29][30]
• Problem Solvers Caucus (vice-chair)^[31]
• Bipartisan Women’s Caucus (co-chair)
• Congressional Colorado River Caucus (vice-chair)
• Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment^[32]

Lee lives in Las Vegas with her two children. She and her ex-husband Dan Lee announced their divorce in May 2021.^[33] She is Roman Catholic.^[34]

• Women in the United States House of Representatives

• Congresswoman Susie Lee official U.S. House website
• Campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart
• Appearances on C-SPAN