Following a brief contest for leadership of the Maryland General Assembly’s lower chamber, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D- District 21) was elected speaker of Maryland’s House of Delegates during a special session on Dec. 16.
As Maryland’s first Afro-Latina speaker of the House, Peña-Melnyk has been a key voice in Annapolis on progressive issues and a mentor for other legislators. She plans to build upon the legislative efforts that former Speaker Adrienne Jones, a District 10 delegate, worked towards.
“It’s a profound responsibility to honor Speaker Jones’ legacy and to continue to move Maryland forward,” Peña-Melnyk told The Informer. “I want to lead with respect, dignity and inclusion.”
She will be replacing Jones, the first African-American and first woman to serve as speaker of Maryland’s House of Delegates.
During Jones’ five sessions as presiding officer, a lengthy list of progressive achievements became state law, including: policing reform, cannabis legalization, enshrining reproductive rights into the state constitution, and securing hundreds of millions of dollars in state funding for Maryland’s historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
Peña-Melnyk, born in the Dominican Republic, will only be the second Latina presiding officer in American history.
She moved to New York City when she was 6, graduated from Buffalo State College, and received her law degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She served as a defense attorney in both Philadelphia and the Washington metropolitan area, and as a federal prosecutor from 1996 to 1999.
Peña-Melnyk was first elected to the College Park city council in 2003 and then the House of Delegates in 2006. Her legislative career has garnered countless awards including the Maryland Association of Counties’ (MACo) 2023 Legislator of the Year and several certificates of appreciation from the Maryland Municipal League (MML).
She has been a major driver of health policy in Annapolis, including legislation to cap prescription costs, requiring implicit bias training for health professionals, and to address health disparities.
The District 21 delegate has also been outspoken in support of protecting immigrants from the Trump administration’s escalated enforcement tactics and to free Kilmar Abrego-García from his illegal deportation.
Rep. Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) is excited to partner with the incoming speaker.
“We look forward to working with State Delegate Pena-Melnyk in her new role,” he told The Informer. “I know she will work hard for Prince George’s and the entire state.”
Del. Ben Barnes (D-District 21), originally one of the several candidates for speaker, withdrew and endorsed his longtime colleague for the role, citing her strong determination as a legislator.
“She has the grit that it takes. She has the intelligence that it takes. She has the experience that it takes. She has the empathy that it takes,” he said in an interview with The Baltimore Banner. “That combination of skills is rare and will just make her a tremendous speaker.”
During the contentious debate to replace former Speaker Mike Busch in 2019, Peña-Melnyk was deemed a compromise candidate. She declined the opportunity, and endorsed Jones.
“We needed to come together and be strong,” Peña-Melnyk said shortly after Jones was first elected as speaker. “Because Speaker Busch would have wanted that.”
The Dec. 16 election coincided with a special session called by Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and legislators used the opportunity to override several vetoes, including a bill authorizing a 24-member volunteer commission to study reparations for the descendants of the formerly enslaved and a bill to study the impact of data centers.
“I really don’t have enough words to express how I feel about my colleagues trusting me with this enormous responsibility to lead,” said Peña-Melnyk to gathered reporters as she emerged from the Democratic caucus meeting. “I’m an inclusive leader, and I’m going to lead with my colleagues. This House belongs to all of us.”
Peña-Melnyk Garners Diverse and Bipartisan Supporters
Marylanders spanning the ideological divide— from progressive Del. Gabriel Acevero (D- District 39), who dubbed the speaker-elect “La Madrina,” to conservative Del. Kathy Szeliga (R- District 7A)— have praised the speaker-elect’s knowledge, integrity, and respect for her colleagues regardless of their political affiliation.
“She’s very honest and really is perhaps the hardest-working delegate in Annapolis,” said Szeliga in an interview with WBFF Fox45 Baltimore. “While we may not agree on some issues, she always wants to make sure that all opinions are brought to the table.”
Jill P. Carter, a former senator who served alongside Peña-Melnyk in the House of Delegates, holds strong optimism for the speaker-elect.
“I’ve known Joseline Peña-Melnyk since our early days serving together, and even then her work ethic, her integrity, and her fierce, people-centered advocacy were undeniable,” Carter told The Informer. “To watch her evolve into the principled, unshakable leader she’s become has been one of the true privileges of my public life.”
Carter strongly believes that the new speaker will be a transformative leader.
“Under her leadership, the Maryland House of Delegates will be a House of Integrity where hard work, honesty, and service to everyday Marylanders are the guiding lights,” she continued. “The beneficiaries will be the members, yes—but even more so, the people of Maryland.”
Brentwood Mayor Rocio Treminio-Lopez, the first Latina mayor ever elected in Maryland’s history, lauds Peña-Melnyk’s expertise as a legislator and the historic nature of her ascension.
“For many years, Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk has demonstrated a deep understanding of the needs of working families, immigrants, and underserved communities in Maryland. Her leadership has always centered on access, inclusion, and equity,” Treminio-Lopez told The Informer. “Being considered for speaker of the House reflects not only her qualifications, but also the progress our state continues to make toward fair representation for all communities.”
Lobbyist Darrell Carrington called the speaker-elect “one of the smartest and most principled public servants” he has ever partnered with in Annapolis.
“Joseline Peña-Melnyk has been the moral compass of the House for years, and now she will be its North Star. Maryland could not ask for a steadier or kinder hand to guide the chamber. There is not a major piece of progressive legislation in modern Maryland history that does not have her fingerprints on it. She has been the driving force behind so much of the good done for working families, vulnerable communities, and people who needed government to show up for them,” he said. “Anyone who has ever testified before her committee knows what real leadership looks like. She listens, she respects every voice in the room, and she never forgets the people she serves.”
Multiple Committee Vice Chairs Move Up
With Peña-Melnyk’s presumed ascension, it is likely that Del. Bonnie Cullison (D- District 19) will serve as chair of the Health and Government Operations (HGO) committee that Peña-Melnyk has helmed since 2022.
Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D- District 13), who chairs the House’s ways and means committee, has announced she is resigning from the General Assembly, effective Jan. 14.
“My county executive race requires that of me now,” Atterbeary said in a press release on Dec. 11. “With a heavy heart and tremendous pride, I will be resigning from the Maryland General Assembly effective January 14, 2026 to focus on my race for Howard County executive.”
It is likely that Del. Jheanelle Wilkins (D- District 20) will serve as the chair of that committee in the upcoming session.
Numerous legislators have posted their optimism and positive feelings towards the speaker, and Lt. Governor Aruna Miller (D), the second woman and first Asian-American to serve in her role, is one of the many Maryland leaders looking forward to the new speaker.
“No one can out work my immigrant sister and no one will look out for you more than Joseline Pena Melnyk,” said Miller in a social media post. “The soon to be Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates will look out for Marylanders the way family looks out for family.
Comptroller Brooke Lierman (D), who served alongside Peña-Melnyk in the General Assembly, is looking forward to partnering with her longtime colleague to address the needs of Marylanders.
“I had the pleasure of working with her during my time in the House of Delegates and have continued to seek her counsel— Joseline Peña-Melnyk has always been a tenacious and principled colleague and a loyal friend. Maryland is fortunate to have her leadership and I commend the House for selecting her as its new Speaker— the first immigrant or Latina to serve in that role,” said Lierman in a press statement minutes after the new speaker was elected. “Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk is the leader we need at this moment in our state’s history, and I look forward to partnering with her in the years to come as we work to build a better Maryland for all residents.”