DOVER – As the dust settles from the Delaware 2024 election, the House Democrats in Dover have named its new slate of leaders, with Rep. Melissa Minor-Brown at the helm of the state’s lower legislative chamber.
The New Castle-area Democrat was elected speaker-elect by fellow representatives in a House Democratic Caucus meeting last Friday, days after the election and months after the state primary saw the loss of House Speaker Valerie Longhurst (D-Bear) to political newcomer Kamela Smith.
The 40-year-old made history in 2023 as the first person of color to be elected to House leadership when she was named the majority whip. If she is elected as speaker by the House of Representatives on Jan. 14 – which is likely as the Democrats hold 27 seats now – she will also be the first Black woman to hold the post.
Minor-Brown was first elected in 2018 and has championed legislation on health care, including bills that require Medicaid to cover ovarian cancer screenings, develop guidelines for cultural competency training programs in hospitals and others.
“I’m honored that our caucus put their trust in me to serve as the first Black female speaker. The historical significance of this moment is not lost on me,” Minor-Brown said.
“With Donald Trump returning to the presidency, our work as a caucus is more urgent than ever before,” she added. “I’m ready to hit the ground running and push forward with policies that protect our most vulnerable, uphold our shared values and strengthen the rights of all our communities. Together, with sincerity and intent to act, we can forge a better tomorrow for all Delawareans.”
The House Democratic Caucus also tapped Rep. Kerri Evelyn Harris (D-South Dover/Magnolia) as House Majority Leader and Rep. Ed Osienski (D-Newark) as House Majority Whip. Harris was first elected in 2022 and served as the Whip in the last session, while this will be Osienski’s eighth term in the House.
Democrats were hoping to pick up four seats that were up for election this year, but ultimately were successful in gaining one: former Rep. Mike Ramone’s seat in the Pike Creek area. After he announced he would step down to run for governor against New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, the race was highly watched to see if Representative District 21 would flip blue. Biotech company owner Frank Burns won that race over Brenda Mennella with 58% of the vote.
Delaware Democrats were able to secure the three-fifths majority to override vetoes from the next governor, but were not able to secure a supermajority which would consist of two-thirds of all legislators. As it stands, House Democrats require two Republicans to align Democrats on any effort to approve constitutional amendments.
As the state heads toward its 153rd session, the House Republicans also named its leadership including Rep. Tim Dukes (R-Laurel) who was elected as the House Minority Leader. The 60-year-old was first elected in 2012 and previously served as the House Minority Whip in the 150th and 151st General Assembly.
Rep. Jeff Spiegelman (R-Clayton/Smyrna) was also tapped to serve as House Minority Whip. This is the first time he has held a leadership position in the House Republicans.
