“When you are Black and brown and poor and you live in under-resourced communities,”’ Lee told local outlet WESA. “You know environmental justice and the labor movement go hand in hand,” adding that the same goes for economic and racial justice, education equity and health care, and housing. “Those are the issues that have been the center of my work,” she said. “That will not change.” In a word: intersectionality. 

If elected, Lee would become the first Black woman to serve Pennsylvania in Congress. Firsts are not new to Lee; for example, she’s already the first Black woman representing southwest Pennsylvania in the state House. 

You can check out a new campaign ad from Lee below.

“We have to build mass movements and engage the electorate in different ways,” Lee told the HuffPost in an interview referring to her run. “I have something to offer and contribute to that conversation.”

In speaking to CNN about the race, Lee acknowledged valid concerns about redistricting in Pennsylvania. As of now, it appears redistricting will impact the outline of the district that includes both Pittsburgh and some surrounding suburbs. In speaking to the outlet, Lee pointed out that if Pittsburgh, for example, is divided and Black and brown voters are essentially targeted and split, that’s actually gerrymandering.

“When you split the second largest population of Black and brown folks in the Commonwealth,” Lee told CNN, “when you split the second largest urban area, that’s also a gerrymander.” Still, she stressed that her team knows the region and believes “we are able to play in this region, whatever district or two districts come out of it.”

You can check out our 2019 interview with Lee below.