Del. Joseline Peña-Melnyk Elected as Speaker of MD House of Delegates

MARYLAND – Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk has been elected as the 109th Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates.

She is the first immigrant or Latina to serve in this role. Her election follows Delegate Adrienne A. Jones’s resignation from the role earlier this month. 

Speaker Peña-Melnyk has served in the House since 2007, representing District 21, comprised of portions of Anne Arundel and Prince George’s counties. She is a member of several committees, including the Health and Government Operations Committee, which she has chaired since 2022. 

“I’ve had the privilege of calling Chair Peña-Melnyk an ally and a friend for years,” said Governor Wes Moore in a statement. “We’ve stood shoulder-to-shoulder on issues that touch all Marylanders, from protecting reproductive freedom to fighting back against a White House that wants to make health care more expensive. I look forward to our continued partnership as she assumes this new role.”

Originally from the Dominican Republic and raised in New York, Peña-Melnyk has worked on a number of issues as a delegate, including leading legislative efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. She also notably founded the Maryland Latino Caucus and has advocated for expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families. 

“Joseline Peña-Melnyk is a champion for Marylanders, a relentless representative for her constituents, and a consensus-builder among her colleagues. During her tenure in the House of Delegates, [she] has addressed some of the state’s most complex issues, including reproductive rights, assisted outpatient treatment, and promoting health equity for all Maryland communities,” said Comptroller Brooke E. Lierman. “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.”