Pennsylvania House Speaker Joanna McClinton discussed her path from public defense to elected office during a Monday event.
The Oct. 26 conversation, jointly hosted by Penn Democrats and the Andrea Mitchell Center for the Study of Democracy, focused on McClinton’s career and legislative priorities. She also outlined her plans for addressing affordability in Pennsylvania — including efforts to raise the minimum wage and support housing funding.
McClinton began the conversation by discussing her early legal career, which included internships with the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office and the Defender Association of Philadelphia while she attended law school. She later spent seven years as a public defender and served as chief counsel to Pennsylvania state Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams before winning a special election to the Pennsylvania House in 2015.
College first year Mackenzie Sanford, who serves as a vice president senior deputy of Penn Dems, expressed that McClinton’s experience as the first Black woman to lead the chamber drew her to the event.
Hearing from McClinton, she said, is “super inspiring as a woman looking to go into public service and policy.”
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When asked how practicing law shaped her political career, McClinton explained that working with clients from different backgrounds helped inform her approach to representing constituents.
She described those interactions as a source of responsibility and compassion, adding that the experiences “helped me be humble and start everything off with respect.”
College first year Long Huy Jiang, an event attendee, expressed that he was particularly struck by McClinton’s account of how her work for constituents preceded her rise to leadership.
He added that McClinton’s description of “doing good work for her district and having these positions of leadership come to her because of the work that she’s been doing” stood out to him.
Jiang pointed to her discussion of confrontation and conflict as opportunities for personal growth, explaining that the conversation changed how he thought about “collaborating with people who disagree with you.”
McClinton also spoke about future initiatives she hopes to promote within Pennsylvania — focusing on education reform, housing affordability, and boosting the Democratic party.
College senior and Penn Dems President Aidan Carroll said in an interview that he was interested in hearing about the state House’s policy agenda, including efforts “to raise the minimum wage, legalize marijuana, and fully fund public transportation.”
As she reflected on her career, McClinton also described the demands of her schedule. She told attendees that her day began with a press conference involving a local police department, included a funeral service prior to the Penn event, and would continue after the discussion with a fundraiser and a Philadelphia Eagles watch party.
“It was hard, but it’s been a joy,” she said. “It’s been an honor to defend our democracy.”