More changes come for MD House leadership

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House Ways and Means Committee Chair Vanessa Atterbeary announced plans to resign Thursday — the most recent among changes to leadership in the Maryland General Assembly.

“I am known in Annapolis for my laser focus and my tendency to pour myself into service,” Atterbeary, D-Howard, wrote in a statement posted to Facebook Thursday morning. “My County Executive campaign requires that of me now.”

“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,” she said.

Atterbeary’s resignation is the second to rock the Maryland House of Delegates in recent days. Last week, House Speaker emeritus Adrienne A. Jones, D-Baltimore County, also stepped down, leaving many to wonder who may take up her gavel. Jones plans to remain as a delegate.

It has become increasingly likely that the chamber’s Democratic Caucus will nominate House Health and Government Operations Committee Chair Joseline Peña-Melnyk to replace Jones during a meeting to be held Tuesday at 10 a.m. Shortly thereafter, the General Assembly will convene a rare, special legislative session to officially elect a new speaker and take up bills the Gov. Wes Moore vetoed, after the 2025 legislative session.

In the meantime, House Speaker Pro Tem Dana Stein, D-Baltimore County, has stepped in for Jones.

It’s unclear who will replace Atterbeary as the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, or if the new speaker will make further leadership changes among standing committee chairs.

While the House is in flux, leadership in the Senate has remained mostly stable.

The Senate Democratic Caucus unanimously voted to reelect Senate President Bill Ferguson, D-Baltimore City, to lead its chamber for a seventh consecutive year. It also opted to keep Senate President Pro Tem Malcolm Augustine, D-Prince George’s, in the position he has held since 2023.

Senate Republicans reelected Sen. Steve Hershey, R-Upper Eastern Shore, and Sen. Justin Ready, R-Carroll and Frederick, as the minority leader and minority whip, respectively.

“I’m humbled by the continued trust of my colleagues and proud of the work we’ve done together to hold this administration accountable and give a voice to the millions of Marylanders who feel left behind by one-party rule,” Hershey said Thursday. “As we head into an election year, Senate Republicans remain focused on restoring balance and common sense in Annapolis.”

Among the chamber’s committee chairs, Sen. Benjamin Brooks, D-Baltimore County, will head the Executive Nominations Committee, and Sen. Katie Fry Hester, D-Howard and Montgomery, will chair the Senate Rules Committee.

Former Senate Rules Committee Chair Sen. Shelly Hettleman, D-Baltimore County, will become the chair of the Senate Budget and Taxation’s Public Safety, Transportation, and Environment Subcommittee, and Sen. Karen Lewis Young, D-Frederick, will chair the Budget and Taxation Committee’s Pensions Subcommittee.

“As we approach the fourth year of our term in the Senate of Maryland, it is essential that we have the right people filling critical leadership positions as we prioritize and advance policies to move our State forward,” Ferguson said in a statement Wednesday. “To that end, the Senate Democratic Caucus agenda will focus on growth, affordability, and protecting against attacks from the federal Administration in the 2026 Legislative Session. We must give Marylanders the certainty and financial relief needed to navigate this avoidable chaos.”