Luke Clippinger

Luke H. Clippinger is a Democratic politician and lawyer serving in the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 46 in Baltimore City since 2011. Born September 24, 1972, in Baltimore, he grew up in the Reservoir Hill neighborhood where his family participated in the city's homesteading program, purchasing their home for one dollar in 1974 with the commitment to renovate the property. He currently resides in the Riverside neighborhood in South Baltimore and is an active member of the LGBTQ+ community.

Education

Clippinger graduated from Baltimore Polytechnic Institute in 1990 and went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts in Politics from Earlham College in 1994, where he also managed the college's WECI radio station. He earned his Juris Doctor from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville in 2005 and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2007.

Political Experience

Clippinger's political involvement began while in college, volunteering for the local Democratic Party. He served as campaign manager for U.S. Representative Lee Hamilton's 1996 re-election campaign and later as district director for U.S. Representative Baron Hill of Indiana from 1998 to 2005. He managed Tom Perez's 2006 Maryland Attorney General campaign.

In 2010, Clippinger was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, winning the Democratic primary election. He chaired the Democratic Party Caucus from 2015 to 2018 and has served as Chair of the Judiciary Committee since 2019. In December 2025, House Speaker Joseline Peña-Melnyk appointed him Speaker Pro Tempore of the Maryland House of Delegates, a position he currently holds.

Notable Achievements

Clippinger has championed criminal justice reform, police accountability, and clean energy legislation. He sponsored the Community Solar Pilot program, allowing over a million Maryland households to save money on electricity through solar energy shares, earning him a Solar Champion award from the Maryland/DC/Virginia Solar Energy Industries Association. As Judiciary Committee Chair, he led efforts to increase police transparency and accountability, closed loopholes for firearm purchases, and passed legislation requiring all police departments to use body cameras. During the 2022 legislative session, he supported and introduced bills creating a statewide referendum on recreational cannabis legalization and establishing the state's cannabis industry framework, which passed into law.