Laurel Lee FL-15

Laurel Lee FL-15

Summary

Current Position: US Representative of FL District 15 since 2023
Affiliation: Republican
District:  northeastern suburbs of Tampa, including parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties. The district includes Plant City and Zephyrhills, as well as parts of Tampa city proper, Brandon, and Lakeland. 
Upcoming Election:

Laurel Frances Lee was a judge on Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit from 2013 to 2019 and was the 30th Secretary of State of Florida from 2019 to 2022. Lee was appointed Florida Secretary of State by Governor Ron DeSantis on January 28, 2019, replacing Mike Ertel

OnAir Post: Laurel Lee FL-15

About

Source: Government Page

Congresswoman Laurel Lee was sworn into office in the United States House of Representatives on January 3, 2023.  She proudly represents the 15th District of Florida which encompasses eastern Hillsborough county including Thonotosassa and Plant City, and part of Brandon, as well as parts of Pasco and Polk counties including Zephyrhills and west Lakeland.

A wife, mother, and daughter of a two-star general in the United States Air Force, Laurel is committed to ensuring that the 15th District of Florida’s voice is represented in Congress. Laurel grew up in a military family, born at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio. As a life-long public servant, Laurel is focused on bringing common-sense solutions to Washington that will encourage job growth, limit government overreach, secure our borders, and bolster our economic and national security.

Prior to her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Laurel served as Florida’s 36th Secretary of State under the DeSantis Administration from January 2019 to May 2022. During her tenure, she worked to strengthen Florida’s elections infrastructure and cybersecurity defenses and ensured accurate and secure elections in the state. From 2013-2019, Laurel served as a Circuit Court Judge in Florida’s Thirteenth Judicial Court in Hillsborough County, appointed by then-Governor Rick Scott. Before becoming a judge, she served as a federal prosecutor for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Florida. As a federal prosecutor, she investigated and litigated False Claims Act cases and initiated and prosecuted a wide range of criminal offenses, including white-collar crime, violent crime, and offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children.

Laurel serves on House Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. Her main focus on these committees includes government accountability and transparency and protecting our nation from threats both abroad and at home.

During her first week in office, Laurel introduced the REINS Act to remove burdensome government regulations for Floridians. This legislation reins in harmful regulations, limits executive overreach, and protects all Americans from unelected and unchecked Washington bureaucrats.

Laurel is a graduate of the University of Florida where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science in 1996 and received her law degree in 1999.

Laurel lives in eastern Hillsborough County with her husband, Tom, and their three children.

Personal

Full Name: Laurel M. Lee

Gender: Female

Family: Spouse: Tom; 3 Children: Regan, Brandon, Faith

Home City: Brandon, FL

Source: Vote Smart

Education

Bachelor’s, University of Florida

JD, University of Florida

Political Experience

Representative, United States House of Representatives, Florida, District 15, 2023-present

Secretary of State, State of Florida, 2019-2022

Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Florida, District 15, 2022

Professional Experience

Former Lawyer, Carlton Fields, Professional Association

Former Chair, Circuit Civil Division, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida

Former Chair, Civil Appellate Division, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida

Former Chair, Domestic Relations Division, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida

Former Chair, East County Civil Division, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida

Former Law Clerk, Judge James S. Moody, Jr, United States District Court

Former Assistant Federal Public Defender, Middle District Court of Florida, United States Federal Government

Former Assistant United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida, United States Department of Justice

Judge, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida, 2013-2019

Appointed by Governor Rick Scott, Judge, Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, Florida, 2013

Offices

Washington DC Office
1118 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC  20515Phone: (202) 225-5626

Tampa District Office
17425 Bridge Hill Court
Suite 203
Tampa, FL  33647Phone: (813) 393-5077

Contact

Email: Government Page

Web Links

Politics

Source: none

Finances

Source: Vote Smart

Committees

Committee on the Judiciary

  • Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet
  • Subcommittee on Responsiveness and Accountability to Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance

Committee on Homeland Security

  • Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security

Committee on House Administration

  • Subcommittee on Elections

Caucuses 

Everglades Caucus

Native American Caucus

Animal Welfare Caucus

Law Enforcement Caucus

Bipartisan Second Chance Caucus

Taiwan Caucus

Youth Sports Caucus

Congressional Western Caucus

New Legislation

Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Lee.

More Information

Services

Source: Government page

District

Source: Wikipedia

Florida’s 15th congressional district is an electoral district for the U.S. Congress and is located in the northeastern suburbs of Tampa, including parts of Hillsborough, Pasco, and Polk counties. The district includes Plant City and Zephyrhills, as well as parts of Tampa city proper, Brandon, and Lakeland.

From 2003 to 2013, the prior 15th district contained most of Brevard County south of the city of Cocoa (including the Kennedy Space Center), all of Indian River County, most of Osceola County, and a very small portion of Polk County. The district took in the cities of Kissimmee, Melbourne, and Vero Beach, as well as Patrick Space Force Base. Boundaries were redrawn due to a lawsuit in 2015.[5] Much of this area is now the 8th district, while the current 15th takes in most of what was previously the 12th district.

From 2013 to 2017, the district included the northern parts of Hillsborough and Polk counties.[6][7] After court-ordered redistricting for the 2016 elections, it also included the southernmost parts of Lake County.

The district is currently represented by Republican Laurel Lee.

Wikipedia

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

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]

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]

In 2013, Governor Rick Scott appointed Lee to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court in Hillsborough County.[13] She was subsequently elected without opposition in 2014.[14] During her tenure, she presided over civil, appellate, and domestic relations cases and served on Florida Supreme Court commissions.[14][15]

Florida Secretary of State (2019–2022)

Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Lee as Florida’s 30th secretary of state in January 2019.[16][17] She oversaw Florida’s elections, corporate registrations, and cultural affairs.[17]

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.[18][19] Under Lee’s tenure, the Department of State implemented election security measures, referred fraudulent petition forms for investigation, and advanced voter registration security.[20]

Lee resigned on May 16, 2022, to run for Congress.[21]

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

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

In 2022, Lee won election to Florida’s 15th Congressional District, defeating Democrat Alan Cohn.[22] She was sworn in on January 3, 2023.[23] She was re-elected in 2024, defeating Democrat Pat Kemp.[24]

Tenure

Lee was the lead sponsor of the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act (RISA), a bill to overhaul the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.[25] She also introduced the bipartisan DEFIANCE Act, addressing non-consensual “deepfake” intimate images.[26]

She serves on the bipartisan House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence.[27] 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.[28]

In 2024, Lee was named as an impeachment manager in the case against Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas[29] and was appointed to the bipartisan task force investigating the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump.[30]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Lee is Vice Chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus,[32] and she is also a member of the Republican Study Committee,[33] the Republic Governance Group,[34] the Congressional Western Caucus[35] and the Everglades Caucus.[36]

Personal life

Lee is married to Tom Lee, former president of the Florida Senate.[37] 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.[38][39]

References

  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. ^ “Two UF grads appointed to Hillsborough judgeships”. Tampa Bay Times. May 7, 2013. Retrieved February 4, 2019.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ “Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State”. Tallahassee Democrat. Tallahassee Democrat. January 28, 2019. Retrieved February 3, 2019.
  16. ^ “Tampa Judge Replaces Official Who Resigned Over Blackface Photos”. Seminole Heights, FL Patch. January 28, 2019.
  17. ^ a b Call, James. “Gov. Ron DeSantis names Tampa judge Laurel M. Lee Florida Secretary of State”. Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  18. ^ Patrick, Steve (November 4, 2020). “Florida voters’ turnout highest in 28 years”. WJXT. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  19. ^ “Yes, it is true — Florida ran a smooth election”. AP News. November 4, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  20. ^ 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)
  21. ^ 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)
  22. ^ 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.
  23. ^ Staff, T. W. N. “118th Congress New House Chiefs”. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  24. ^ 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)
  25. ^ https://www.washingtontimes.com, The Washington Times. “Speaker Johnson pushes lawmakers to support FISA reauthorization vote next week”. The Washington Times. Retrieved September 26, 2025. {{cite web}}: External link in |last= (help)
  26. ^ Curi, Maria (May 20, 2025). “Scoop: Momentum builds for AI deepfake bills”. Axios. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  27. ^ White, Gary. “Rep. Laurel Lee appointed to U.S. House Task Force on Artificial Intelligence”. The Ledger. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  28. ^ a b c “Laurel M. Lee (Florida (FL)), 119th Congress Profile”. Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  29. ^ 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)
  30. ^ “House leaders announce members of bipartisan task force investigating Trump assassination attempt”. CBS News. July 29, 2024. Retrieved July 31, 2024.
  31. ^ a b “House Committee on House Administration”. GovTrack.us. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  32. ^ “Membership | Main Street Caucus”. mainstreetcaucus.house.gov. January 30, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  33. ^ “Leadership | Republican Study Committee”. rsc-pfluger.house.gov. February 19, 2025. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  34. ^ “Home”. Republican Governance / Tuesday Group PAC. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  35. ^ “Caucus Memberships”. Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved April 9, 2025.
  36. ^ “Congressional Everglades Caucus – Summary from LegiStorm”. www.legistorm.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
  37. ^ 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.
  38. ^ 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.
  39. ^ Collins, Kathy (October 3, 2022). “Laurel Lee, U.S. House Florida District 15”. www.ospreyobserver.com. Retrieved September 26, 2025.
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


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