Asked about the significance to her of Kamala Harris' presidential campaign, Pennsylvania delegate and state Rep. Joanna McClinton, the first Black woman to serve as speaker of the Pa. House, said: "For me, that means more than time permits me to talk about."

McClinton says grassroots outreach work will be essential for increasing voter turnout in the city in November. And she says she is encouraged by seeing a level of enthusiasm  and optimism about the 2024 Democratic ticket that reminds her of the atmosphere in 2008, when Barack Obama ran for president. She says the outcome of the election depends largely on the engagement of young people.

"I think as young people feel that power of filling the void of the largest voting block in our nation, they're going to say, 'Hey, it's all up to us.'"

If Harris beats Donald Trump in the November election, McClinton says she hopes the new administration will make lasting investments in Philadelphia in areas including access to affordable housing, preserving infrastructure, and protecting the environment.

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