NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY

Speaker Carl Heastie was elected by his peers as the 100th Speaker of the New York State Assembly on February 3, 2015 – the first African American to lead the 150-member body. Heastie was first elected to the state Assembly in 2000, and has fought for Northeast Bronx families in Albany for nearly 20 years. He has achieved historic victories for hardworking New Yorkers over the course of his career. Before becoming Speaker, he served as chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, authoring and passing the 2010 Wage Theft Prevention Act.

MARYLAND HOUSE OF DELEGATES

In 2019, Speaker Adrienne Jones shattered two glass ceilings when she was elected to serve as the first African American and the first woman Speaker of the Maryland House of Delegates in history. Before being Speaker, Jones also held the distinction of being the first African American woman to serve as Speaker Pro Tem in the Maryland House of Delegates, serving in that capacity under Speaker Mike Busch for 16 years. She has been a delegate since 1997. Jones has long been known by her colleagues for her steadfast leadership and no-nonsense approach to legislating.

PENNSYLVANIA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Speaker Joanna McClinton has served in the Pennslyvania House of Representatives since August 15, 2015. Since then, she has shattered the legislative ceiling in the general assembly. In 2018, McClinton became the first woman and first African American to be elected as the House Democratic Caucus Chair. In 2020, she became the first woman elected as House Democratic Leader in the 244-year history of the oldest legislative body in the country. And in 2023, she became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

VIRGINIA HOUSE OF DELEGATES

In the legislature, Speaker Don Scott has been a champion for reproductive freedom and uplifting working families by ensuring a strong, equitable economy. His legislative priorities also include strengthening Virginia’s public schools, improving healthcare quality and affordability, and criminal justice reform. In 2019, Scott was elected to serve in the Virginia House of Delegates. In 2022, he was elected by members of his caucus to serve as House Democratic Leader, and in 2024, he became the first Black Speaker of the House of Delegates in Virginia’s history.

MAINE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross became Maine's first African American House Speaker and the highest-ranking African American politician in Maine history when she was elected speaker on December 7, 2022. Her father, who also served as a Maine lawmaker and civil rights leader, was the first person of color ever elected to the Maine Legislature, and Talbot Ross describes her family as being consistently involved in public service and civic action. Her policy priorities include justice reform, violence prevention, and building more equity across the state.

MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House Speaker Joe Tate is serving his third term in the Michigan Legislature. Tate is Michigan’s first Black Speaker of the House of Representatives now holding the gavel and setting House priorities in a legislative term in which Democrats have the majority for the first time in over a decade. His policy priorities include uplifting Michigan families; protecting the rights of all people; ensuring workers are valued; and investing in a world-class education system, a strong infrastructure, and a thriving economy.

ILLINOIS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

House Speaker Emanuel “Chris” Welch has served as a State Representative in the Illinois General Assembly since January 2013. On January 13, 2021, he became the first Black lawmaker elected to serve as Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives. His policy priorities include improving classroom education, creating opportunity for all, and making government more efficient. Welch and House Democrats have rebuilt Illinois’ rainy day fund, moved the pension systems closer to stability, and worked to protect a person’s right to choose with the codification of Roe v. Wade.