A delegate representing Maryland‘s Anne Arundel and Prince George’s Counties is breaking racial barriers as the next speaker of the state’s House of Delegates.
Joseline Peña-Melnyk is making history
Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk, D–Md. 21, was unanimously elected as the first Afro-Latina and first immigrant speaker of the House on Tuesday after a special meeting of the House Democrats and backing from the Democratic Caucus, the chamber’s majority leadership, WTOP reported.
“I really don’t have enough words to express how I feel about my colleagues trusting me with this enormous responsibility to lead,” Peña-Melnyk, who’s 59, told reporters after the 40-minute 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 currently serves as Co-Chair of the Legislative Policy Committee and Chair of the Health and Government Operations Committee, according to her official website.
In 2006, Peña-Melnyk began her political career with two terms on the College Park City Council before her election to the Maryland House of Delegates, according to her official website and the National Press Association.
Former Speaker Adrienne Jones stepped down
Peña-Melnyk’s recent win comes nearly two weeks after former Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) abruptly stepped down from her post. Jones will remain a member of the House serving District 10, Baltimore County, according to WBAL-TV.
Jones had been a member since 1997, but she was elected to the position in 2019 — breaking barriers as the first woman and first Black person to serve as speaker of the House in Maryland’s history.
In a statement to the Maryland General Assembly, Jones said that she never foresaw being in that position forever. She added that she wanted to “help the next generation” of House speakers to succeed in their roles, per WBAL-TV.
‘We have grit to do the work’
While Peña-Melnyk initially entered the race for House speaker, she later withdrew. House Democrats scheduled a Tuesday meeting to choose a new speaker, who would ultimately select Peña-Melnyk to assume the role.
Peña-Melnyk said she is prepared to work with House Republicans on important “kitchen table issues,” including lowering the cost of living, electricity and healthcare, while dealing with million-dollar deficits, according to WUSA9.
When asked how she’ll approach those tough sessions, Peña-Melnyk spoke highly of the people she works with and said she is confident they will work together to get things done.
“We have a lot of amazing, intelligent people in this chamber,” she told WUSA9. “We have the Department of Legislative Services, and they have experts to guide us. We have grit to do the work.”