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Fall 2018 Class of NewDEAL Leaders Announced

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 25, 2018
Contact: Jonathon Dworkin, 202-660-1340 x5

New Class of Nation’s Top Pro-Growth Progressive Leaders Announced

Diverse set of state and local leaders join organization of innovative, rising Democrats

Washington, D.C. - Eleven leaders from nine states have been chosen to join the NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders), a selective national network of state and local leaders working to enact pro-growth progressive solutions in a wide array of communities. Members of the 150-plus-person network of rising Democrats have been chosen from among more than 1000 nominations.

The diverse new class of leaders, listed below, were recognized for their unwavering commitment to expanding opportunity, as they work to move their communities forward in the new economy and reject the idea that policymakers can or should want to turn the clock back to a prior era. These leaders’ work will help build on policy agendas NewDEAL develops for state and local officials, including the upcoming release of recommendations from the organization’s Future of Work Policy Group, as well as The Way Forward, an agenda that addresses the most pressing issues facing Americans in the digital age.

The new class of NewDEAL Leaders includes:

Chaz Beasley, State Representative, Charlotte, NC
Wesley Bishop, State Senator, New Orleans, LA
John Cranley, Mayor, Cincinnati, OH
Justin Fairfax, Lieutenant Governor, Virginia
Amir Farokhi, City Councilmember, Atlanta, GA
Margaret Good, State Representative, Sarasota, FL
Derek Green, City Councilmember, Philadelphia, PA
Nirva LaFortune, City Councilmember, Providence, RI
Daniele Monroe-Moreno, State Assemblymember, North Las Vegas, NV
Laura Register, School Board Member, Grady County, GA
Kathy Tran, State Delegate, Fairfax, VA

Fall 2018 NewDEAL Leader class “While much of the political world is focused on how the balance of power in D.C. will shift in a couple of weeks, we must also remember the tremendous impact that innovative state and local officials have on enacting policies that meet the demands of a changing world and expand opportunity for all," said Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) and former Delaware Governor Jack Markell, Honorary Co-Chairs of NewDEAL. "Supporting the rising leaders in the NewDEAL has never been more important. We look forward to promoting the work of this excellent new class of leaders as they join a network of officials with a proven track record of winning and governing successfully in diverse communities.”

The NewDEAL brings together leaders focused on expanding opportunity, helping them develop and spread innovative ideas to spur economic growth that is broadly-earned and sustainable. Most importantly, the organization facilitates the exchange of ideas among its members and connects them with other pro-growth progressive political, policy, and private sector leaders.

One of the organization’s signature events, the Annual NewDEAL Leaders Conference, will take place November 28-30 in Washington, DC. About 70 NewDEAL Leaders will join other innovators from the public and private sectors to address lessons learned from the midterm elections and to discuss a forward-looking agenda for state and local Democrats to tackle the future of work and climate change, and rebuild trust in government.

NewDEAL Leaders have found broad support for their work, with 98 percent of members winning elections in 2016 and 2017, across red, blue, and purple states, including many elected to higher office. Four members were elevated to statewide office, including in the swing states of Pennsylvania and North Carolina. More than 25 leaders have run for higher office in 2018, including for Governor (such as Andrew Gillum in Florida and Stacey Abrams in Georgia) and Congress (such as Paul Davis in Kansas, Ben McAdams in Utah, Greg Stanton in Arizona, Clarke Tucker in Arkansas, and Jennifer Wexton in Virginia)

Today’s announcement brings the total number of NewDEAL members to 166 leaders from 46 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Learn more about the NewDEAL by visiting https://newdealleaders.org/leaders.

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