HARRISBURG, Pa. — The NewDEAL Forum recently announced Pennsylvania Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton (D- 191st Dist.) as one of 20 finalists in the 2025 National Ideas Challenge, a nationwide competition among the forward-thinking state and local policymakers from NewDEAL, with submissions focused on policies to build strong, healthy communities. McClinton is one of three finalists from around the country in the “Democracy: Safeguarding Rights and Participation” category.
Finalists were chosen by nationally recognized policy experts who reviewed more than 50 policy proposals submitted by elected officials from cities, counties, and states across the country. The ideas lay out a roadmap for how elected officials can deliver results that expand opportunities and improve lives.
Pa Speaker of the House Joanna McClinton
(Photo/Pa. House)
McClinton is recognized for her Voting Rights Protection Act, which would improve voter turnout and boost confidence in the electoral system, with results being reported more quickly. Key provisions include allowing pre-canvassing of returned mail-in ballots for faster reporting; establishing uniform statewide standards for secure ballot drop boxes; permitting ballot curing to prevent disenfranchisement from minor errors; implementing standardized and accessible in-person early voting; and increasing poll worker pay to improve recruitment and retention.
“The finalists in the 2025 Ideas Challenge put forward policy ideas that keep the focus on hardworking Americans, including by recognizing that strengthening our democracy is a critical part of serving their interests and protecting their freedoms,” said Jonathon Dworkin, NewDEAL Forum executive director. “Speaker McClinton’s Voting Rights Protection Act is a great example of taking a pragmatic approach to that goal, focusing on the fundamental right to vote in secure, free, and fair elections.”
“It is an honor to be named a finalist in the NewDEAL Forum’s Ideas Challenge on such an important issue,” McClinton said. “The right to vote was enshrined in our Constitution and has become synonymous with our great country. This right should be protected at all costs and strengthen the process to ensure every eligible American can participate. The Voting Rights Protection Act responds directly to concerns raised by both Republican and Democratic election officials to safeguard and improve our elections.”
The 2025 National Ideas Challenge centered on six key policy areas: Housing, Health, Education, Youth Investment, Public Safety, and Democracy.
The winners of the 2025 Ideas Challenge will be announced in October and featured in GOVERNING.
The complete list of finalists in the “Democracy: Safeguarding Rights and Participation” category:
• Adrian Fontes, Arizona Secretary of State, for his Election Administration Fellowship, which both provides Arizona college students with hands-on, paid experience in election administration through placements in county election offices and offers short-term staffing support to local election offices facing resource shortages.
• Joanna McClinton, Pennsylvania Speaker of the House, for her Voting Rights Protection Act, which would improve voter turnout and boost confidence in the electoral system, with results being reported more quickly, with uniform, easily understood standards for every county to follow in administering our elections.
• Tanya Miller, Georgia Representative, for her Restoring Voting Rights initiative, a statewide initiative designed to end mass disenfranchisement in Georgia and restore full citizenship (including voting rights) to justice-impacted individuals.
All Ideas Challenge finalists can be found on the NewDEAL Forum website at: www.newdealforum.org/all-news/2025-policy-contest-highlights-elected-officials-building-thriving-communities.
The Ideas Challenge judges included:
U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider (IL-10) – chair, New Democrat Coalition.
Steve Benjamin – former mayor of Columbia, SC.
Kristina Costa – former deputy assistant to President Joe Biden.
Martha Coven – founder, Coven Consulting; former OMB associate director.
Jonathan Smith – senior chief deputy director, MI Department of Labor & Economic Opportunity.
The Ideas Challenge was organized by the NewDEAL Forum, a non-profit organization that identifies and elevates innovative, future-oriented state and local policies that can improve the lives of all Americans. By facilitating the identification and spread of policy ideas, the NewDEAL Forum seeks to foster economic growth, reduce barriers to opportunity, and promote good government in communities, cities, and states throughout the country.
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