Diana M. Fennell

Diana M. Fennell (born August 6, 1967) is an American politician who represents District 47A in the Maryland House of Delegates. She previously served as the mayor of Colmar Manor, Maryland from 2000 to 2010 and as a member of the Colmar Manor town council from 1995 to 2000.^[2]

Diana M. Fennell
Member of the Maryland House of Delegates from the 47A district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 14, 2015 Serving with Jimmy Tarlau and Julian Ivey
Preceded by	Michael G. Summers
Mayor of Colmar Manor, Maryland
In office 2000–2010
Preceded by	Michael L. Garrett
Succeeded by	Michael E. Hale
Member of the Colmar Manor Town Council
In office 1995–2000
Personal details
Born	(1967-08-06) August 6, 1967 (age 57) Emporia, Virginia
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Jeffrey T. Fennell Sr.,[1]
Children	Jeffrey Jr. and DeJanee
Residence(s)	Colmar Manor, Maryland, U.S.

Background

Fennell was born on August 6, 1967, in Emporia, Virginia, where she graduated from Greensville County High School. In 2004, she attended the Academy for Excellence in Local Governance at the University of Maryland, College Park School of Public Policy.^[2]

Fennell moved from Washington, D.C. to Colmar Manor, Maryland in the early 1990s. In 1994, a neighbor urged her to seek public office.^[3] She successfully ran for Colmar Manor town council and was sworn in 1995. In 2000, she was elected as the town's mayor, where she served until 2010.^[2]

In 2002, Fennell ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in District 47.^[4] She came in fourth place in the primary election, receiving 13.1 percent of the vote.^[5]

In 2014, Fennell again ran for the Maryland House of Delegates, receiving the backing of state senator Victor R. Ramirez during the primary election.^[6] She won the Democratic primary alongside Jimmy Tarlau, receiving 23.7 percent of the vote and defeating incumbent state delegate Michael Summers.^[7] She received 52.1 percent of the vote in the general election.^[8]

In the legislature

Fennell in the Economic Matters Committee, 2024

Fennell was sworn into the Maryland House of Delegates on January 14, 2015, and was assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee. In her committee, she serves on the election law subcommittee, the finance resources subcommittee, and the revenues subcommittee. She is also a member of the Prince George's County Delegation, Women Legislators of Maryland, and the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.^[2]

Political positions

Elections

Fennell voted for legislation introduced in the 2019 legislative session that would lift a ban on developer contributions in county political races in Prince George's County, Maryland.^[9]

Marijuana

Fennell supported legislation introduced during the 2018 legislative session that would reform the state's Medical Cannabis Commission and ensure diversity for proprietors in the industry.^[10]

Minimum wage

Fennell introduced legislation during the 2019 legislative session that would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour in 2023 and phase out the state's tipped wage by 2026.^[11] During committee hearings, the bill was amended to push back the full-on effective date to 2025 and to remove provisions to automatically increase the wage based on the national consumer price index.^[12] The bill passed as amended and received a gubernatorial veto override on March 28, 2019.^[13]

Electoral history

• 2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47th District (Democratic Primary)^[5]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Rosetta C. Parker (Incumbent), Democratic	3,584	17.2%	Won
Doyle Niemann, Democratic	3,521	16.9%	Won
Victor R. Ramirez, Democratic	3,054	14.6%	Won
Diana M. Fennell, Democratic	2,724	13.1%
Bob McGrory, Democratic	2,298	16.6%
Lee P. Walker, Democratic	2,229	10.7%
Lillian K. Beverly, Democratic	1,808	8.7%
Fred Price Jr., Democratic	1,136	6.3%
Theodore N. Pantazes, Democratic	323	1.5%

Voters to choose three:

• 2014 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (Democratic Primary)^[7]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Jimmy Tarlau, Democratic	2,728	26.7%	Won
Diana Fennell, Democratic	2,416	23.7%	Won
Michael Summers (Incumbent), Democratic	1,740	17.1%
Malcolm Augustine, Democratic	1,688	16.6%
Joseph Solomon, Democratic	1,627	16%

Voters to choose two:

• 2014 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (General Election)^[8]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Diana Fennell, Democratic	11,198	52.1%	Won
Jimmy Tarlau, Democratic	8,836	41.1%	Won
Fred Price Jr., Republican	1,424	6.6%
Other Write-Ins	55	0.3%

Voters to choose two:

• 2018 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (Democratic Primary)^[14]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Diana Fennell (Incumbent), Democratic	5,239	37.8%	Won
Julian Ivey, Democratic	4,504	32.5%	Won
Jimmy Tarlau (Incumbent), Democratic	4,104	29.6%

Voters to choose two:

• 2018 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (General Election)^[15]

Name	Votes	Percent	Outcome
Julian Ivey, Democratic	15,981	52,2%	Won
Diana Fennell (Incumbent), Democratic	14,192	46.4%	Won
Other Write-Ins	429	1.4%	Won

Voters to choose two:

Notes

1. "Maryland House of Delegates, Dist. 47A". No. Government, Politics, Print Edition. Hyattsville Life and Times. June 10, 2014. Archived from the original on December 21, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
2. "House of Delegates". Maryland Manual On-Line. State of Maryland. Retrieved 19 December 2016.
3. Harris, Hamil R. (May 4, 2006). "Voters Bring Surprise to City, Town Elections Capitol Heights Mayor Ousted". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
4. Meyer, Eugene L.; Schwartzman, Paul (July 11, 2002). "Chamber of Commerce's Bizpac Backs Riddick". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
5. "2002 Gubernatorial Election Official Results: Legislative District 47". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
6. Hernández, Arelis R. (April 29, 2014). "Opportunity sparks Latino rivalry in new Prince George's legislative district". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
7. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
8. "Official 2014 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
9. Kurtz, Josh (January 25, 2019). "Bill on Prince George's Developer Contributions Advances". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
10. Ford, William J. (April 9, 2018). "Md. Senate OKs Medical Cannabis Reform Act, Goes to Governor's Desk for Signature". The Washington Informer. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
11. Gaines, Danielle E. (January 14, 2019). "Lawmakers, Advocates Promise Push for 'Clean 15' Bill". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
12. Kurtz, Josh (March 12, 2019). "Will Populist Economic Bills Collide With Reality?". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
13. DePuyt, Bruce; Gaines, Danielle E. (March 28, 2019). "Dems Strike Back, Overriding Hogan's Vetoes". Maryland Matters. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
14. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial Primary Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 7, 2022.
15. "Official 2018 Gubernatorial General Election results for House of Delegates". Maryland State Board of Elections. Retrieved March 7, 2022.