Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones (D-Baltimore County) announced she would be immediately stepping down from her leadership positions Thursday after leading the House of Delegates for six years.

“I have accomplished much during my work and I am confident the boxes are checked,” Jones said in a statement. “When elected Speaker, I never intended this to be forever. I wanted to help build the next generation of House leaders and prepare them for the challenges in front of us as a State. Now is that time – and I look forward to seeing this mighty House of Delegates continue to grow.”

Jones’s second-in-commend House Speaker Pro Tem Dana Stein (D-Baltimore County) moved into the acting speaker role Thursday afternoon as the Democratic Caucus prepares to nominate a new leader in just over a week.

Jones was elected to lead the lower chamber in 2019 but has served as a delegate representing Baltimore County since 1997.

Although her tenure as speaker has come to an end, Jones says she intends to continue representing District 10 and already filed for reelection this past summer.

“I'm sad that she's stepping down because she's been a steady presence at the helm of the House of Delegates now for six years, but she leaves a very impressive legacy,” Stein said, calling her a good friend and a good mentor.

Stein referred to Jones as a “trailblazer,” not only for being Maryland’s first woman and person of color to be elected speaker, but also for her legislative agenda.

“She was instrumental in getting the abortion rights referendum on the ballot, support for HBCUs, diversity and equity – the list is a long one,” Stein said. “And also I will say, even though covid is is not that far in the rearview mirror, sometimes we forget that that was a very challenging time, and she led us through that.”

Despite Stein temporarily taking over the duties of speaker, he says he has no interest in throwing his hat in the ring to be nominated for the position permanently.

While there is no official shortlist of candidates to succeed Jones, likely contenders appear to be House Appropriations Chair Ben Barnes (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) and House Health and Government Operations Chair Joseline Peña-Melnyk (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s).

Maryland’s top elected officials released a slew of statements in support of Jones following her resignation, including Gov. Wes Moore.

“Adrienne Jones was a friend and mentor long before she ever earned the title ‘Speaker.’ Her leadership and mentorship have been instrumental to me and so many others who serve the people of Maryland,” the governor said. “She leads by example, putting service above self across five decades, and that will not change as she steps down from leadership while still serving District 10.”

House Republican Leader Jason Buckel (R-Allegany) commended Jones’s decision and said she has his “respect and appreciation.”

“I look forward to continuing to work with her as a colleague this session. She was tough, but honest and gracious, and undoubtedly a good person who has left a profound legacy in Maryland,” Buckel said.

State Sen. President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) called Jones’s leadership and counsel “invaluable,” and Senate Republican Leader Steve Hershey (R-Caroline, Cecil, Kent and Queen Anne’s) said while his caucus often did not share Jones’s policy priorities, Republicans “nevertheless respect her decades of service to Maryland.”

The House Democratic Caucus will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 10:00 a.m. to nominate a new speaker.