Biography

Michael Shumway Lee, born on June 4, 1971, in Mesa, Arizona, is a Republican politician serving as the senior United States Senator from Utah since 2011. Raised in a family deeply rooted in law and public service, his father, Rex E. Lee, was the Solicitor General under President Ronald Reagan and the founding dean of Brigham Young University's J. Reuben Clark Law School. Lee's early exposure to the legal field, including attending his father's Supreme Court arguments, fostered a profound respect for the Constitution.

Lee is married to Sharon Burr, and they have three children: John, James, and Eliza. A member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served a two-year mission in the Texas Rio Grande Valley.

Education and Political Experience

• Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Brigham Young University
  • Juris Doctor from BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School

• Legal Career:

  • Clerked for Judge Dee Benson, U.S. District Court for the District of Utah
  • Clerked for Judge Samuel Alito, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
  • Attorney at Sidley & Austin, specializing in appellate and Supreme Court litigation
  • Assistant U.S. Attorney in Salt Lake City, arguing cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
  • General Counsel to Utah Governor Jon Huntsman Jr.
  • Clerked for Justice Samuel Alito, U.S. Supreme Court
  • Returned to private practice in Utah

• Political Experience:

  • Elected to the U.S. Senate in 2010, defeating incumbent Senator Bob Bennett in the Republican primary
  • Reelected in 2016 and 2022
  • Chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee
  • Chairman of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights
  • Member of the Foreign Relations and Budget Committees

Throughout his tenure, Senator Lee has been a staunch advocate for constitutional principles and limited government. His legislative efforts have focused on issues such as energy policy, judicial reform, and antitrust matters.