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DeShanna Neal

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DeShanna Neal
Image of DeShanna Neal

Democratic Party

Delaware House of Representatives District 13
Tenure

2022 - Present

Term ends

2026

Years in position

2

Predecessor

Compensation

Base salary

$50,678/year

Per diem

$No per diem is paid.

Elections and appointments
Last elected

November 5, 2024

Education

High school

Concord High School, 2000

Bachelor's

University of Phoenix, 2010

Graduate

Wilmington University, 2021

Personal
Birthplace
Wilmington, Del.
Religion
Buddhist
Profession
Therapist
Contact

Official website

Official Facebook

Official Instagram

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

DeShanna Neal (Democratic Party) is a member of the Delaware House of Representatives, representing District 13. She assumed office on November 9, 2022. Her current term ends on November 3, 2026.

Neal (Democratic Party) ran for re-election to the Delaware House of Representatives to represent District 13. She won in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Neal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

DeShanna Neal was born in Wilmington, Delaware. Neal graduated from Concord High School in 2000. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Phoenix in 2010 and a master's degree in applied family science from Wilmington University in 2021. Her career experience includes working as a therapist, as well as in retail, finance, and customer service. Neal founded Intersections of Pride Foundation.[1][2][3]

The following table lists bills this person sponsored as a legislator, according to BillTrack50 and sorted by action history. Bills are sorted by the date of their last action. The following list may not be comprehensive. To see all bills this legislator sponsored, click on the legislator's name in the title of the table.


Committee assignments

Note: This membership information was last updated in September 2023. Ballotpedia completes biannual updates of committee membership. If you would like to send us an update, email us at: editor@ballotpedia.org.

2023-2024

Neal was assigned to the following committees:


Elections

2024

See also: Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2024

General election

General election for Delaware House of Representatives District 13

Incumbent DeShanna Neal defeated Danny Rappa in the general election for Delaware House of Representatives District 13 on November 5, 2024.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of DeShanna Neal
DeShanna Neal (D) Candidate Connection
 
56.3
 
5,516
Image of Danny Rappa
Danny Rappa (R) Candidate Connection
 
43.7
 
4,287

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 9,803
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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Democratic primary election

The Democratic primary election was canceled. Incumbent DeShanna Neal advanced from the Democratic primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 13.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Danny Rappa advanced from the Republican primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 13.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Endorsements

Ballotpedia did not identify endorsements for Neal in this election.

2022

See also: Delaware House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election

General election for Delaware House of Representatives District 13

DeShanna Neal defeated Carlucci Coelho in the general election for Delaware House of Representatives District 13 on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of DeShanna Neal
DeShanna Neal (D)
 
60.7
 
3,389
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Carlucci Coelho (R)
 
39.3
 
2,195

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 5,584
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 13

DeShanna Neal defeated incumbent John Mitchell Jr. in the Democratic primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 13 on September 13, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of DeShanna Neal
DeShanna Neal
 
50.9
 
669
Image of John Mitchell Jr.
John Mitchell Jr.
 
49.1
 
645

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 1,314
Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

The Republican primary election was canceled. Carlucci Coelho advanced from the Republican primary for Delaware House of Representatives District 13.

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Candidate Connection

DeShanna Neal completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Neal's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

I was born in Wilmington General and have been a lifelong Delawarean. I credit my love for justice, community, and education on my parents: my father, a Vietnam veteran, and my mother, an office assistant for over 30 years. I became part of the first generation of city kids to be bussed to choice school, and thrived in the Brandywine School District. I graduated from Concord High School (go Raiders!) in 2000, and went on to became the first in my family to receive a Masters degree in Applied Family Science. During this time, I also became a mother to my four children, Trinity,

Lucien, Hyperion, and Thane.

I'm a Certified Family Life Educator and work with an amazing behavioral health organization as a mobile outpatient psychologist for the most at-risk youth in Delaware. I'm an author and have a nonprofit that works to bridge the gaps for the most vulnerable and underrepresented in the state.
  • Access to both medical and mental healthcare. I have seen the benefits of having access to medical and mental healthcare. As a mental health provider, I love watching my clients grow and find mindfulness in their lives.
  • Affordability for hard working families, like mine, is needed in this state. Finding ways for families to afford their homes, being paid living wages, and making childcare affordable. The weight I see many in my district and throughout the state carry upsets me. We are drowning trying to keep a roof over our heads and food on our tables. I am proud to be a co-sponsor for the initiative to look at the food deserts in our communities and ways to decrease the burden of costs in Delaware.
  • Equity in our education system. As a sitting member of the education committee, we have already made great strides in addressing the challenges facing our education system. Increasing our teacher's pay means our teachers can stay in our schools, take care of their families, and be more present for their students. Passing the first leg of free breakfast and lunch for students in need because we all know a hungry child is a child who can not learn. I am one of the many therapists who can enter our schools and work with our at-risk students, along with a slew of mental health initiatives for our K-12 kids which means addressing trauma. And now we are looking at school climate and funding options so all schools can thrive.
Accessibility for all, especially as the first visibly disabled state legislature. Medical and mental healthcare that is affordable. Education and ways to improve our public schools.
My kids. They show me the reason I do what I do. Why my continued work in community and social justice efforts matter. They have gone through a pandemic, isolation, loss of friends through gun violence and suicide, and bullying. Yet, my older two are now in their second year of college, my younger two are honor roll students, and they are the most empathetic, advocacy driven, young people I get the pleasure of raising and loving.
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway. The persistence of the main character, even though it seemed hopeless at times, is how I have always moved through life. I am patient but I am also persistent.
Empathy, the ability to work together, and bridging the gaps for the people of Delaware.
I have experienced poverty, struggling to make ends meet, and worked hard to pull myself up through higher education and community service. When I got to Dover, I brought the perspective of all of this, because sometimes, we are forgotten. I brought the voice of the many who are tired of choosing food over the water or electric bill. Tired of being ignored or dismissed when they know their bodies are sick and disabled. Tired of fighting for a better education for their kids, and better resources for the kids with special needs. My multitude of intersections has helped me show those who have not had to struggle, what it looks like to fight for all rights and equity.
Ensuring their district and the communities within are able to thrive as well as making certain the policies passed bring the whole state closer to being a great place to live.
I want to leave knowing the world I worked on is one of equity, affirmation, and stability for the next generation.
The AIDS epidemic. I was around 8 or 9 and watched it ravage my community and take several family members.
My grandparents had been one of the first few Black owned small businesses and had a janitorial service. I helped them clean office buildings starting at age 9, but my first job, on my own, was working as a cashier at the local Dollar Tree. I was 14 when I took this job and stayed until I was 16, when I started work as a telemarketer for MNBA.
Any book from The Percy Jackson Series.
Elasti-girl from The Incredibles
Thunder Bringer from Epic: The Musical (I love musicals)
I recently learned I have MS. Losing control over my body has been hard for me. But, I also have amazing support and a great medical team. My colleagues have made ways for my world to be more accessible. I still go camping. I still work out. But most of all, I have learned to love my different body and continue to work hard to bring change.
Actively listening to each other and coming up with the best ways to pass policies that help all of Delaware.
Affordable housing, loss of providers and educators, and homelessness.
No. I believe, in order to truly represent the people, we need people to come from all walks of life. Different perspectives and diversity are cornerstones to change.
Absolutely. I enjoy talking with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle. We work together and I'm proud that the bills I have had go to the floor for a vote were all bipartisan.
Shirley Chisolm
I learned about her as a child and even dressed up as her for Halloween. She was truly a hero for many.
No. Not really.
Yes. When I first got in, in 2022, I had a resident reach out to me about her disabled father. His outdoor wheelchair lift had been broken for a year and a half and she could not get anyone from Medicaid to help her. As someone who had faced off with Medicaid many years before, I knew how hard it could be. I got to work and kept her informed. When I learned they were coming to her house to check out the lift, I showed up. I got to know her and her father during this process and have become one of the family since. He got a brand new lift. He has me call him dad and the best part of this whole story is that they are not democrats. When he brought this up to me and said he was shocked I helped, I responded "I don't see your party. I see you as a person who needed my help." That's how I was raised and I'm glad to call them family.
How do you know a joke is a dad joke?
When it becomes apparent!
I believe we should be part of the conversation but ultimately, that responsibility comes from our Governor.
I currently have a bill that will strengthen our accessible parking enforcement in the state. This bill is over a decade old and as someone who is disabled, is important for me to pass. It has passed committee but I have taken to working closely with all who will need to be involved to make it the best bill possible.
Delaware Stonewall PAC

Delaware Building Trades
Progressive Democrats for Delaware
DE Sierra Club
LGBTQ Victory Fund
LPAC
DSEA

AFSCME
The current ones I sit on are education, health and human development, and corrections. I really enjoy being part of these committees.
As a therapist, transparency and accountability are very important for many aspects in life. In government, I believe this to be even more so, because we represent the people. We must show them we are genuine and coming to the table as our true and whole selves. Luckily, we were able to pass several bills that will address accountability and transparency in our government this last term and I was proud to vote 'yes' on all of them!
There are some pros to having this as well as cons that we have seen happen in the country with state ballot initiatives. I am okay stating I'm not sure where I stand on this because of the uncertainty with how these measures have been handled in the past.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2022

DeShanna Neal did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign finance summary

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

DeShanna Neal campaign contribution history
YearOfficeStatusContributionsExpenditures
2024* Delaware House of Representatives District 13Won general$20,458 $15,241
2022Delaware House of Representatives District 13Won general$33,168 $31,539
Grand total$53,626 $46,780
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

Scorecards

See also: State legislative scorecards and State legislative scorecards in Delaware

A scorecard evaluates a legislator’s voting record. Its purpose is to inform voters about the legislator’s political positions. Because scorecards have varying purposes and methodologies, each report should be considered on its own merits. For example, an advocacy group’s scorecard may assess a legislator’s voting record on one issue while a state newspaper’s scorecard may evaluate the voting record in its entirety.

Ballotpedia is in the process of developing an encyclopedic list of published scorecards. Some states have a limited number of available scorecards or scorecards produced only by select groups. It is Ballotpedia’s goal to incorporate all available scorecards regardless of ideology or number.

Click here for an overview of legislative scorecards in all 50 states.  To contribute to the list of Delaware scorecards, email suggestions to editor@ballotpedia.org.


2024


2023










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External links

Candidate

Delaware House of Representatives District 13
  • Website
  • Facebook
    		•

    Officeholder

    Delaware House of Representatives District 13
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
    		•

    Personal

  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
    		•

    Footnotes

    1. ↑ LinkedIn, "DeShanna (State Representative) Neal," accessed January 11, 2023
    2. ↑ DeShanna4District13, "About," accessed January 11, 2023
    3. ↑ Information submitted to Ballotpedia through the Candidate Connection survey on September 26, 2024

    Political offices
    Preceded by
    John Mitchell Jr. (D)     		Delaware House of Representatives District 13
    2022-Present    		 Succeeded by
    -


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