Del. Shaneka Henson Takes Office After Swearing In Ceremony

ANNAPOLIS, MD –Shaneka Henson has been officially sworn in as a member of the Maryland House of Delegates. The Democrat from Annapolis had been nominated by party leaders to fill a vacancy left by the death of longtime Democratic Speaker Michael Busch. The attorney had previously served as an alderwoman on the Annapolis City Council.

In a video shared on her official Facebook page, Henson thanked all of her supporters and invited everyone to the swearing in ceremony that was held May 16.

“Thank you for all of this support. There has been an incredible outpouring of support,” she stated.

After being administered the oath of office by Speaker Adrienne Jones during the ceremony, Henson signed the test book. According to MSN News, Henson’s husband Marcus Johnson placed a House of Delegates pin on her lapel as her 15-year-old son Khalil Hawkins watched. Several Annapolis-area government officials were on hand to watch the swearing in ceremony, including Democratic Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman and Annapolis Mayor Gavin Buckley, also a Democrat.

On Facebook, Henson expressed her excitement for her new position.

“I am so honored to be your Delegate for district 30A! Let the work begin!!!” she wrote.

Henson represents District 30A, which includes the City of Annapolis and the greater Annapolis area, as well as neighborhoods on the Broadneck Peninsula and in Edgewater. In a blog Henson wrote, she explained how both of her parents were pastors and traveled across Africa “using their gifts and abilities to help build the least-reached communities of the region while serving underserved communities in Annapolis and surrounding areas.”

They inspired her to be a better person, she said, and as a youth, Henson engaged in missionary work just like her parents by volunteering in local food pantries and helping out other ways. Professionally, she has provided pro bono services to the homeless, investigated domestic violence issues, and worked with at-risk and underprivileged children. She obtained her law degree from the University of Baltimore and was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 2010.