Delegate Jheanelle K. Wilkins

Jheanelle K. Wilkins was born on May 29, 1988, in Kingston, Jamaica, and is a member of the Democratic Party. She has represented Maryland's 20th Legislative District in the Maryland House of Delegates since January 25, 2017, when she was appointed by Governor Larry Hogan. She became the first African American woman to represent her district, and in 2018, she was elected to a full term, making her one of the first Black women ever elected to the House of Delegates from Montgomery County.

Wilkins resides in Silver Spring, Maryland, and has built her career around civil rights advocacy and policy reform focused on racial justice, voting rights, maternal health, and educational equity.

Education

Wilkins earned her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Delaware in 2009 and a Master of Public Administration in Social Policy from American University in 2011.

Political Experience

Wilkins currently serves in several key leadership roles within the Maryland House of Delegates:

• Vice Chair of the House Ways and Means Committee
• Chair of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, the largest Black Caucus in the nation
• Chair of the Subcommittee on Election Law, where she has led efforts to expand voter access, including passing Maryland's permanent mail-in ballot list, voting access for incarcerated individuals, and expansion of early voting sites

She previously served as Parliamentarian of the Maryland House of Delegates, responsible for maintaining efficient and orderly procedures.

Professionally, Wilkins serves as Director of State and Local Government Affairs at The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the nation's oldest and largest civil rights coalition. She has championed legislation addressing racial profiling, justice reform, and increasing educational outcomes for all students. Wilkins was elected as a delegate to the Democratic Party National Convention in 2024.