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.

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. 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. She came in fourth place in the primary election, receiving 13.1 percent of the vote. She won the Democratic primary alongside Jimmy Tarlau, receiving 23.7 percent of the vote and defeating incumbent state delegate Michael Summers.

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.

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. 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. The bill passed as amended and received a gubernatorial veto override on March 28, 2019.

Personal life In February 2017, the Internal Revenue Service placed a $56,141 tax lien against Fennell's property, which she settled in April 2025.

Electoral history 2002 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47th District (Democratic Primary) Voters to choose three: 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%

2014 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (Democratic Primary) Voters to choose two: 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%

2014 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (General Election) Voters to choose two: 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%

2018 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (Democratic Primary) Voters to choose two: 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%

2018 Race for Maryland House of Delegates – 47A District (General Election) Voters to choose two: 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