In what is a small glimpse of potentially good news for Republicans in the generally deep blue state of Maryland, the longtime Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates Ways and Means Committee has suddenly resigned to pursue another political job and has, in retiring, thrown the state house into some amount of confusion that could delay its ability to act.
That outgoing House leader is Del. Vanessa Atterbeary (D-Howard). She is a longtime Democrat politician in the state who has served as the chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, a powerful position given its control over the revenue apparatus. She announced on Thursday, December 11, that she is leaving the House of Delegates in January of 2026 to focus on running for Howard County executive position.
Announcing her resignation in a letter posted to her Facebook page, Atterbeary said, “As I reflect on my career in the House of Delegates, I am so proud of the accomplishments we’ve achieved in my years of service. I am known in Annapolis for my laser focus and tendency to pour myself into service. 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. I put my heart and soul into my work in the House and now is the time for me to do the same for the county where I was born, raised, and continue to love so much.”
Continuing, the delegate commented on how she is proud of having fought against gun rights in the state, saying that she spent her early career in a slog of a fight “for stronger laws against firearm sales”, amongst other social legislation of a similar sort.
Adding to that, she noted how other Democrats in the state led her to fight against strong policing, which she dressed up as “police reform”, saying, “They allowed me to lead first-in-the-nation police reform; the fight for every Maryland child to have access to a high-quality education; and new laws to advance more and better economic opportunities for the people and businesses of this State.”
Reporting on the matter of Atterbeary’s resignation, local media outlet The Daily Record noted that her decision to resign is coming alongside the decision of House Speaker emeritus Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) to step down, leading to many wondering who will replace her, as the natural replacement is resigning as well.
As such, the state party is scrambling to replace both of them, and The Daily Record reported that “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,” though the turmoil that comes with trying to find a whole new leadership team is ongoing and seemingly disrupting the party’s ability to do much in the coming weeks.
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