Mike Lee
American lawyer and politician (born 1971) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Michael Shumway Lee (born June 4, 1971) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Utah, a seat he has held since 2011. A member of the Republican Party, Lee became Utah's senior senator when Orrin Hatch retired from the Senate in 2019 and dean of Utah's congressional delegation when Rob Bishop retired from the House of Representatives in 2021.
Mike Lee | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2017 | |
| United States Senator from Utah | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | Bob Bennett |
| Chair of the Joint Economic Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – February 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Erik Paulsen |
| Succeeded by | Don Beyer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Michael Shumway Lee (1971-06-04) June 4, 1971 (age 52) Mesa, Arizona, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Sharon Burr (m. 1993) |
| Relations | Thomas Rex Lee (brother) |
| Children | 3 |
| Parent | Rex E. Lee |
| Education | Brigham Young University (BA, JD) |
| Website | Senate website |
The son of solicitor general Rex E. Lee and brother of Utah Supreme Court justice Thomas Rex Lee, Lee began his career as a clerk for the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah before clerking for Samuel Alito, who was then a judge on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals. From 2002 to 2005, Lee was an assistant United States attorney for the District of Utah. He joined the administration of Utah governor Jon M. Huntsman Jr., serving as the general counsel in the governor's office from 2005 to 2006. Lee again clerked for Alito after he was appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.
In 2010, during the Tea Party movement, Lee entered the Republican Party caucus process to challenge incumbent three-term senator Bob Bennett. He defeated Bennett and business owner Tim Bridgewater during the nominating process at the Utah Republican Party convention and won the Republican primary, defeating Democratic nominee Sam Granato in the general election. During the 2016 Republican presidential primaries, Lee refused to endorse Donald Trump, voting for Evan McMullin in the general election. Lee eventually became a Trump ally, endorsing him in 2020 and 2024. He coordinated with and supported the Trump administration in its efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, but ultimately voted to certify the election.
Lee chaired the Joint Economic Committee from 2019 to 2021.[1] He was reelected in 2016 and 2022, running against McMullin in 2022. Though he beat McMullin by double digits, Lee's performance was the worst for a Republican in a Utah U.S. Senate election since 1974.