NewDEAL Welcomes New Class of Democratic Rising Stars
News Category: Media, Statements and Press Releases
Elected officials at the state and local level join a selective network of innovative, results-driven Democrats from across the country.
Washington, D.C. - NewDEAL (Developing Exceptional American Leaders) has announced a new class of 22 forward-thinking elected officials to join its selective center-left network of state and local leaders who receive support in their efforts to develop smart, pragmatic policy, govern effectively, and move forward in their public service careers.
As hardworking Americans continue to face rising costs for everything from housing to childcare to energy, NewDEAL Leaders are dedicated to finding innovative policy solutions to bring real relief to families and small businesses. This new group of state and local elected officials have demonstrated an ability to make government work better and deliver results on the day-to-day issues that matter most to their constituents, while remaining committed to upholding America’s ideals of liberty, opportunity, and democracy.
Through in-person and virtual convenings, this new class of leaders will work with colleagues across the country to bring forth a better, more prosperous future for everyone. Many of them will join other NewDEAL Leaders as well as issue-area experts at the NewDEAL Annual Conference, taking place Nov. 18-20 in Washington, D.C. The event will provide a forum to reflect on the midterm elections, share policy ideas that expand economic opportunity and make government work better, and explore leadership strategies for governing successfully in challenging political environments.
“Hardworking families are rightly looking for elected officials who will focus on lowering costs and increasing economic opportunity rather than scoring political points,” said NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan. “From cities and towns to state governments, these leaders are developing and implementing ideas that focus on the cost-of-living crisis, good jobs, public safety, education, clean energy, and a strong democracy. They know that families are hurting while federal policies are making healthcare, gas, and groceries unaffordable, and they are stepping up with solutions that exemplify NewDEAL’s approach to governing."
Members of the 247 leader network from all 50 states work each day to enact pragmatic, common-sense solutions in a diverse array of communities. They have been chosen from among more than 2,200 nominations over the organization’s fifteen years. NewDEAL alumni include members of Congress like Reps. Janelle Bynum (OR) and Sarah McBride (DE); Governors Josh Shapiro (PA) and Josh Stein (NC), and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, along with numerous members of the U.S. House and Senate. In the last six years, 56 NewDEALers have risen to higher office, adding to the more than one in four members who have done so over the organization's history. NewDEAL's honorary co-chairs are U.S. Senator Chris Coons (DE) and U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland (WA-10).
The newest members of the NewDEAL hail from 20 states and were chosen for their unwavering commitment to the equitable expansion of opportunity. Their work aims to move their communities forward in uncertain economic times and offers solutions that are both practical and on the scale required to address the biggest challenges facing the country. Their leadership includes: expanding housing options for seniors, essential workers, and working families in Colorado; promoting investment in Pittsburgh business districts; launching CT Baby Bonds, an initiative that invests $3,200 for children born into low-income Connecticut households; and passing bipartisan legislation to lower prescription drug costs in Kentucky.
“This new class of leaders is the cream of the crop,” said Andy Berke, Board Chair of NewDEAL Leaders and former mayor of Chattanooga. “They are committed to making Americans safer, more prosperous, and ready for the challenges and opportunities of the coming decades. I’m proud to welcome them to the NewDEAL Leaders family.”
These leaders’ work will also help refine, expand, and build on policy recommendations made by NewDEAL’s sister organization, the NewDEAL Forum, through its Democracy Working Group, Housing Task Force, AI Task Force, Education Policy Group, Caring for Families Task Force, and Climate Solutions Working Group..
The new class of NewDEAL Leaders includes:
- Alaska: Fairbanks Mayor Mindy O’Neall
- Arizona: Coconino County Treasurer Sarah Benatar
- Colorado: Routt County Commissioner Angelica Salinas
- Connecticut: State Treasurer Erick Russell
- Delaware: Sen. Tizzy Lockman
- Georgia: Rep. Omari Crawford
- Illinois: Sen. Mike Halpin
- Indiana: Rep. Victoria Garcia Wilburn
- Kentucky: Rep. Adam Moore
- Missouri: Rep. Ashley Aune
- Nebraska: Sen. Dunixi Guereca
- New Hampshire: Portsmouth Assistant Mayor JoAnna Kelley
- New Mexico: Rep. Michelle Paulene Abeyta
- New York: New York City Councilmember Virginia Maloney
- New York: Suffolk County Legislator Rebecca Sanin
- North Carolina: Fletcher Mayor Preston Blakely
- Ohio: Rep. Dani Isaacsohn
- Pennsylvania: Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler
- Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor
- South Carolina: Columbia City Councilmember Sam Johnson
- Vermont: State Treasurer Mike Pieciak
- Virginia: Alexandria Mayor Alyia Gaskins
About NewDEAL
NewDEAL is a selective center-left network of state and local elected leaders from across the nation. Our mission is to scour the country to lift up the best and brightest elected officials who are pragmatic and get results – including councilmembers, county executives, mayors, state legislators, and statewide leaders below the level of governor. We promote their ideas for expanding opportunity, spurring economic growth, and creating broadly shared, sustainable progress. Through virtual and in-person meetings, NewDEAL brings leaders together to exchange lessons learned and ideas with one another as well as with issue-area experts from non-profits, the private and philanthropic sectors, and the federal government.
NewDEAL Quick Facts:
- In 2024, every NewDEAL Leader who ran for reelection in their current position won their race.
- Currently, 69 percent of NewDEAL state legislators hold one or more leadership roles in their caucuses and/or committees, including Speaker of the House, Majority or Minority Leader, caucus chair, and/or as chair, vice chair, or another leadership position on nearly 70 committees or subcommittees (data prior to May 2025 class).
- Since 2018, 56 NewDEALers have risen to higher office. Over the past 15 years, one in four NewDEAL Leaders has run for and been elected to higher office.
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