DOVER, Del.- Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown has become the first Black woman elected speaker of the Delaware House of Representatives. She was chosen by the chamber on Tuesday as the 153rd General Assembly convened for its first session.
“It is the honor of a lifetime to take the helm as Speaker of the House to help lead what I believe is one of the most promising General Assemblies in our state’s history,” Minor-Brown said in a statement. “Looking out at my peers, I see our state reflected not only in their appearances, but their ideals and lived experiences.”
A registered nurse, Minor-Brown was first elected to the House in 2018. She served as House Majority Whip in 2022 and became House Majority Leader in 2023.
Tuesday also saw six new members sworn into the House: Rep. Josué Ortega (3rd District), Rep. Melanie Ross Levin (10th District), Rep. Claire Snyder-Hall (14th District), Rep. Kamala Smith (15th District), Rep. Frank Burns (21st District), and Rep. Mara Gorman (23rd District).
Minor-Brown now leads Delaware’s most diverse legislative chamber in history, with 17 women and 14 people of color in the 27-member Democratic Caucus.