Laurel Lee

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Laurel Lee
Official portrait, 2023
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 15th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2023
Preceded byScott Franklin (redistricted)
30th Secretary of State of Florida
In office
January 28, 2019 – May 16, 2022
GovernorRon DeSantis
Preceded byMike Ertel
Succeeded byCord Byrd
Judge of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Florida
In office
May 5, 2013 – January 28, 2019
Appointed byRick Scott
Preceded byDaniel Sleet
Succeeded byThomas Palermo
Personal details
BornLaurel Frances Moore
(1974-03-26) March 26, 1974 (age 51)
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseTom Lee
Children3
EducationUniversity of Florida (BA, JD)
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website

Laurel Moore Lee (née Moore; born March 26, 1974) is an American attorney, former judge, and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Florida's 15th congressional district since 2023.[1] A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as Florida's secretary of state from 2019 to 2022 and as a judge on Florida's Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 2013 to 2019.[2]

Early life and education

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Lee was born on March 26, 1974, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio,[3] the daughter of a U.S. Air Force officer who later attained the rank of major general[4][5] and a public-school teacher.[6][7] 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.[8][9] She earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law.[10][11]

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Lee began her legal career at Carlton Fields, P.A., specializing in antitrust and complex business litigation.[12] She later served both as an Assistant Federal Public Defender and as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida.[12] As a federal prosecutor, she coordinated the federal-state Task Force on the Sexual Exploitation of Children and served as Violence Against Women Act coordinator.[13][14]

In 2013, Governor Rick Scott appointed Lee to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County.[15] She was subsequently elected without opposition in 2014.[16] During her tenure, she presided over civil, appellate, and domestic relations cases and served on Florida Supreme Court commissions.[16][17]

Florida Secretary of State (2019–2022)

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Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Lee as Florida's 30th secretary of state in January 2019.[18][19] She oversaw Florida's elections, corporate registrations, and cultural affairs.[19]

In 2020, Florida saw a record turnout of more than 11 million ballots, the highest in nearly three decades, in an election widely regarded as secure and efficient.[20][21] Under Lee's tenure, the Department of State implemented election security measures, referred fraudulent petition forms for investigation, and advanced voter registration security.[22]

Lee resigned on May 16, 2022, to run for Congress.[23]

U.S. House of Representatives (2023–present)

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Lee with Senator Rick Scott, then-Attorney General Ashley Moody, Hillsborough County sheriff Chad Chronister, then-Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, and Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna in the Hillsborough County, Florida Emergency Operations Center, responding to Hurricane Milton

Elections

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In 2022, Lee won election to Florida's 15th congressional district, defeating Democrat Alan Cohn.[24] She was sworn in on January 3, 2023.[25] She was re-elected in 2024, defeating Democrat Pat Kemp.[26]

Tenure

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Lee has focused on national security, law enforcement, and technology policy.[27][28][29] 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.[29] She also introduced the bipartisan DEFIANCE Act, addressing non-consensual "deepfake" intimate images.[30]

She serves on the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.[31] She also sits on the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittees on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet, and on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, and on the Energy and Commerce Committee.[32]

In 2024, Lee was named as an impeachment manager in the case against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas[33] and was appointed to the bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.[34]

Committee assignments

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Caucus memberships

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Lee is Vice Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus,[36] and she is also a member of the Republican Study Committee,[37] the Republic Governance Group,[38] the Congressional Western Caucus[39] and the Everglades Caucus.[40]

Personal life

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Lee is married to Tom Lee, former president of the Florida Senate.[41] They have three children and live in the Brandon area near Tampa.[3] She has volunteered with Bay Area Legal Services' Domestic Violence Assistance Project and served on the board of the Emergency Care Help Organization (E.C.H.O.) of Brandon.[42][43]

References

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  1. ^ Staff, FOX 13 News (November 5, 2024). "Republican Laurel Lee wins re-election for second term". FOX 13 News. Retrieved September 23, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Judge Laurel M. Lee as Florida Secretary of State". Office of the Governor of Florida. January 28, 2019. Archived from the original on March 12, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Staff, FOX 13 News (November 5, 2024). "Republican Laurel Lee wins re-election for second term". FOX 13 News. Retrieved September 23, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  4. ^ https://www.af.mil/About-Us/Biographies/Display/Article/106189/major-general-william-f-moore/
  5. ^ Ogles, Jacob (July 26, 2022). "Veterans initiative will fight to elect Laurel Lee in CD 15". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  6. ^ https://en.geneastar.org/genealogy/moorelaurel/laurel-lee
  7. ^ Reports, Staff (January 28, 2019). "Laurel Lee – Circuit Judge and wife of Sen. Tom Lee – to be next Secretary of State". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  8. ^ "Florida Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee Elected to Serve on National Board - Florida Department of State". dos.fl.gov. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  9. ^ "Hall of Fame Members | DIVISION OF STUDENT LIFE". studentlife.ufl.edu. Retrieved September 23, 2025.
  10. ^ "Florida New Members 2023". November 17, 2022. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "Laurel Moore - Attorney in Tampa, FL". www.attorneys.org.
  12. ^ a b "Laurel Moore Lee appointed to Hillsborough Circuit Court – SaintPetersBlog". saintpetersblog.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  13. ^ "Endorsement Announcement". Poder Latino | PoderLatino.us. September 24, 2022. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  14. ^ "About the Secretary - Florida Department of State". fldoswebuat-sandbox.azurewebsites.net. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  15. ^ "Two UF grads appointed to Hillsborough judgeships". Tampa Bay Times. May 7, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  16. ^ a b "Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Judge Laurel M. Lee as Florida Secretary of State | Executive Office of the Governor". www.flgov.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  17. ^ "Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State". Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee Democrat. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  18. ^ "Tampa Judge Replaces Official Who Resigned Over Blackface Photos". Seminole Heights, FL Patch. January 28, 2019.
  19. ^ a b Call, James. "Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  20. ^ Patrick, Steve (November 4, 2020). "Florida voters' turnout highest in 28 years". WJXT. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  21. ^ "Yes, it is true -- Florida ran a smooth election". AP News. November 4, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  22. ^ Beninate, Nick Jones, Renee (January 20, 2022). "Florida AG asked to investigate suspected fraudulent casino petitions". WJXT. Retrieved September 26, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  23. ^ staff, Lawrence MowerTimes; correspondent, William MarchTimes. "Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee to resign, eyes congressional run". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved September 26, 2025. {{cite web}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ Ogles, Jacob (November 9, 2022). "Laurel Lee defeats Alan Cohn in CD 15, putting Florida's newest House seat in GOP column". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  25. ^ Staff, T. W. N. "118th Congress New House Chiefs". Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  26. ^ Staff, FOX 13 News (November 5, 2024). "Republican Laurel Lee wins re-election for second term". FOX 13 News. Retrieved September 26, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  27. ^ White, Gary. "Rep. Laurel Lee appointed to U.S. House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence". The Ledger. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  28. ^ Dixon, Drew (June 15, 2025). "Ashley Moody, Laurel Lee pitch legislation in Congress to step up immigration measures". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
  29. ^ a b Picket, Kerry. "Speaker Johnson pushes lawmakers to support FISA reauthorization vote next week". The Washington Times. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  30. ^ Curi, Maria (May 20, 2025). "Scoop: Momentum builds for AI deepfake bills". Axios. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  31. ^ White, Gary. "Rep. Laurel Lee appointed to U.S. House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence". The Ledger. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  32. ^ a b c "Laurel M. Lee (Florida (FL)), 119th Congress Profile". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  33. ^ News, A. B. C. "Historic impeachment articles against Alejandro Mayorkas sent to Senate, but will there be a full trial?". ABC News. Retrieved September 26, 2025. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  34. ^ "House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt". CBS News. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  35. ^ a b "House Committee on House Administration". GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  36. ^ "Membership | Main Street Caucus". mainstreetcaucus.house.gov. January 30, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  37. ^ "Leadership | Republican Study Committee". rsc-pfluger.house.gov. February 19, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  38. ^ "Home". Republican Governance / Tuesday Group PAC. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  39. ^ "Caucus Memberships". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  40. ^ "Congressional Everglades Caucus - Summary from LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  41. ^ Brown, Jo-Lynn (September 23, 2025). "Former Senate President Tom Lee inducted into Florida Housing Hall of Fame". Tampa Bay Business & Wealth. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  42. ^ Henderson, Joe (January 30, 2019). "Joe Henderson: Laurel Lee was easy pick when Florida needed new Secretary of State". Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  43. ^ Collins, Kathy (October 3, 2022). "Laurel Lee, U.S. House Florida District 15". www.ospreyobserver.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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Political offices
Preceded by Secretary of State of Florida
2019–2022 		Succeeded by
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Florida's 15th congressional district
2023–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
335th 		Succeeded by