ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers elected Delegate Joseline Peña-Melnyk on Tuesday as the new speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates, the first immigrant and Afro-Latina to hold the position.
Peña-Melnyk, D-Prince George’s and Anne Arundel, was sworn in after a unanimous vote as the 109th speaker of the House.
Peña-Melnyk, 59, was born in the Dominican Republic and emigrated to New York with family members as a child. A College Park resident, she has lived in Maryland for more than 30 years and has served in the House since 2007.
She attended high school in New York and said she was the first in her family to attend college and law school.
In thanking her many sources of inspiration and support, she remembered her roots in the Dominican Republic.
She lived in a house with a metal roof that leaked when it rained, that had no indoor plumbing and food was often scarce, said Peña-Melnyk.
“As a Dominicana, an American, an Afro-Latina, mother, friend, wife, I will carry those experiences with me in every decision we make,” said Peña-Melnyk.
“I’ve had the privilege of calling Chair Peña-Melnyk an ally and a friend for years,” Gov. Wes Moore, D, said 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.”
Delegate Ashanti Martinez, D-Prince George’s, and chair of the Maryland Legislative Latino Caucus, said it felt affirming to see someone from his community fill the role.
“Ultimately, this is a historic moment for the state, showing that we are a welcoming state,” said Martinez. “We contrast that to what the national story is right now. We’re leading in a different direction, and I think that’s really important.”
Under Republican President Donald Trump, enforcement actions throughout the country, including sudden arrests of immigrants, have been a point of political polarization. In Maryland, more than 2,000 individuals have been arrested by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the streets, according to an analysis of ICE data by CNS.
This recent finding follows a previous analysis by CNS that found that eight Maryland sheriffs are collaborating with ICE in what is known as 287(g) agreements. A disproportionately high number of arrests under this agreement came from Frederick County, which boasts a longtime commitment to the program.
“She deserves this position,” said Deni Taveras, D-Prince George’s, who called Peña-Melnyk her colleague, friend and sister. “I think she earned this by investing in people for many years. People didn’t see if she was Latina or not, it was because she invested in people and treated them well. I think this is something historic and a slap in the face for the Trump administration and about everyone being at the table to achieve what we need.”
“She is a leader that is always willing to listen and understand regardless of the side of the aisle on which you stand,” said Thomas Hutchinson, a Republican delegate who represents four counties on the Eastern Shore.
In her first session as speaker, the House took up override votes on a number of bills that Moore had vetoed in the last session. The Senate also convened and voted on a number of measures.
Both chambers on Tuesday overrode a veto on a bill that would establish a commission to study reparations for slavery and racial discrimination in the state.