Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) on Thursday said she will step down from her leadership position, marking the end of an era where she made history in 2019 as the state’s first Black woman to serve in the role.
“When elected Speaker, I never intended this to be forever,” Jones said in a statement, where she pointed to changing seasons in her life as the reason for her departure. “I wanted to help build the next generation of House leaders and prepare them for the challenges in front of us as a State. Now is that time — and I look forward to seeing this mighty House of Delegates continue to grow.”
The 71-year-old lawmaker has filed for reelection in 2026 and will continue on in her position as a delegate representing Maryland’s 10th District next year. Her decision to step down from leadership a month before the 2027 legislative session is set to begin comes after a difficult year. Jones and other state leaders had to navigate a budget crisis and ongoing financial challenges sparked by federal policy decisions under the Trump administration. Jones’s son also died in February.
Jones stepped into her role as the first Black person and first woman to lead the Maryland House of Delegates, a history-making triumph that ended a bitter contest for one of the most important positions of power within the state capital. She succeeded longtime speaker Michael E. Busch after his unexpected death.
“She broke glass ceilings,” Del. Nicole A. Williams (D-Prince George’s) said. “She served as a role model for many of us in the Chamber and in the State.”
Her ascension marked an ongoing transformation in what leadership looks like in Maryland, a deep-blue state with a large Black population that had historically been run by White men at the highest levels of political power. When Jones was unanimously voted by the Democratic caucus to serve as speaker, the state had no women and only a few Black members in Congress, and the governor’s mansion had only ever been held by White men.
Now, Maryland is led by Gov. Wes Moore (D), the state’s first Black governor. Two of the state’s eight U.S. Representatives are women, and one of its senators is a Black woman.
“Adrienne Jones was a friend and mentor long before she ever earned the title ‘Speaker,’” Moore said in a statement reacting to her decision to step down. “Her leadership and mentorship have been instrumental to me and so many others who serve the people of Maryland.”
Jones first joined the House of Delegates in 1997. She served as speaker pro tem for 17 years before she was chosen to be House speaker. Much of her work focused on advocating for improving Maryland schools, uplifting the state’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), advocating for the social and economic advancement of underrepresented communities, and pushing to better Baltimore County.
“I have spent my life giving back to my community, the people of Baltimore County and the State of Maryland,” Jones said in her statement, reflecting on her many years in the state legislature. “Serving my community in local government, as a delegate and the Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates has been my greatest honor.”
The House, which is controlled by Democrats, will have to choose a new speaker as the next legislative session rapidly approaches. The House Democratic Caucus will meet Dec. 16 to nominate a new speaker. Lawmakers are scheduled to convene in Annapolis on Jan. 14.
Katie Mettler contributed to this report.
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