PA Speaker Joanna McClinton explains how Kamala Harris inspired her path to leadership

Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton reflects on Vice President Kamala Harris’ candidacy for president after President Joe Biden announced he will not seek another term. 

For Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia), Vice President Kamala Harris’ elevation as the country’s first Black and South Asian woman to be the presidential nominee for any of the major parties is personal.  

“I have to go back to the evening that our Vice President and President Joe Biden accepted the outcome of the election,” McClinton recalled in an interview with The Keystone. “That was the day I decided that I needed to run for leader.”

That night, on Nov. 7, 2020, Harris spoke in front of thousands of supporters after the election was called for Biden and Harris and told the crowd, “I may be the first woman to hold this office, but I won’t be the last.” 

That inspired McClinton to start her journey into Pennsylvania House Democratic leadership and eventually led to her making history and becoming the first woman, and second Black person, to ever serve as House Speaker. 

“Listening to her talk about the journey for women in this country and for people of color and how many challenges we’ve had, but not shying away from the moment, it really compelled me,” McClinton said. 

McClinton’s admiration for Harris dates back to 2005 when McClinton was a law student working inside the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office and she had the opportunity to listen to Harris speak at a convention for black prosecutors. Harris was San Francisco’s District Attorney at the time. 

“I was flabbergasted in that room,” McClinton said. 

“I was probably about 22 years old, maybe 23 years old, and I just was like, ‘wow, this woman’s the DA and she’s working on criminal justice reform. She’s trying to dismantle an institution that has always been racist at its core. She’s talked about that. And I was sitting there completely blown away.”

Harris became the presumed presidential nominee for Democrats on Sunday when Biden announced that he will not seek reelection this fall. Harris still needs to secure the support of Biden’s delegates prior to the convention, and Democrats from across Pennsylvania are supporting her nomination. 

Gov. Josh Shapiro, who is seriously being considered as a nominee for Vice President, praised Biden as “one of the most consequential presidents in modern history,” and endorsed Harris’ ascension to the presidency. 

“Kamala Harris is a patriot worthy of our support and she will continue the work of generations of Americans who came before us to perfect our union, protect our democracy and advance real freedom,” Shapiro said in a statement. 

McClinton praised Shapiro and said Shapiro “would be an absolutely excellent vice president candidate.” 

“[Shapiro] is the only [governor] to have a Republican-controlled Senate and a Democratic-controlled House, and he has proven time and time again that we get stuff done here in Pennsylvania.”