{{short description|American politician from Delaware}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2020}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Marie Pinkney | image = | caption = Official State Senate photo. | state_senate = Delaware | state = Delaware | district = 13th | term_start = November 5, 2020 | term_end = | preceded = David McBride | succeeded = | constituency = | majority = | party = Democratic | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | spouse = | alma_mater = | profession = | website = }}
'''Marie Pinkney''' is a social worker and member of the Delaware Senate from New Castle County, Delaware. A newcomer to politics, in September 2020 she defeated incumbent State Senate President Pro Tempore David McBride in the Democratic primary election by a 52.4%-47.6% margin.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=PR2020 |title= State of Delaware Primary Election Official Results |date= September 15, 2020 |publisher= Delaware Commissioner of Elections |accessdate= September 16, 2020}}</ref> In the heavily-Democratic majority minority 13th District, the Democratic nomination is considered tantamount to election.<ref>[https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/wireStory/progressive-newcomer-defeats-delaware-state-senate-leader-73050488 Chase, Randall "Progressive newcomer defeats Delaware state Senate leader: A Black political newcomer campaigning on a progressive platform has defeated the leader of Delaware’s state Senate in a Democratic primary"] Associated Press September 16, 2020</ref>
Pinkney defeated Republican nominee Alexander Homich in the general election of November 3, 2020. Pinkney is the first openly queer woman elected to serve in Delaware's state legislature, after Senator Karen E. Peterson came out as gay in 2013 while in office.<ref name=advocate /> She is one of three LGBTQ+ candidates to be elected to the Delaware General Assembly in 2020, along with Sarah McBride and Eric Morrison.<ref name=advocate>[https://www.advocate.com/politics/2020/9/17/dragged-drag-gay-candidate-wins-del-along-queer-woman Ring, Trudy. "Dragged for Drag, Gay Candidate Wins in Del., Along With Queer Woman: Eric Morrison beat a legislator who had criticized him for performing in drag, and Marie Pinkney is on track to become the state's first Black queer lawmaker."] ''The Advocate'' September 17, 2020</ref>
== Personal life == Pinkney grew up in New Castle and Wilmington. She attended Howard High School of Technology and Delaware State University. She worked at a treatment center for adolescents with mental health and substance abuse problems, and now works as a trauma social worker and case manager at Christiana Hospital.<ref>[http://marieforsenate.com/about-marie/ "About..." on Pinkney's website]</ref> Pinkney identifies as queer and is an active member of Christiana Care PRIDE, the LGBTQ+ employee resource group at her workplace.<ref name=advocate />
== Legislation == Pinkney supports expansion of healthcare availability and has sponsored legislation to cap prices of certain medical equipment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Detail - Delaware General Assembly |url=https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=119641 |access-date=2025-09-24 |website=legis.delaware.gov}}</ref> In 2021, she introduced legislation to allow pharmacists to dispense contraception without a prescription.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Detail - Delaware General Assembly |url=https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?legislationId=58564 |access-date=2025-09-24 |website=legis.delaware.gov}}</ref>
Pinkney sponsored SB 144, which updated and expanded Delaware's hate crime statute.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Bill Detail - Delaware General Assembly |url=https://legis.delaware.gov/BillDetail?LegislationId=78756 |access-date=2025-09-24 |website=legis.delaware.gov}}</ref>
== Electoral history == 2020: Pinkney defeated incumbent David McBride with 3,111 votes (52.37%) in the Democratic Primary held on September 15, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 18, 2020 |title=2020 State Primary Election Report |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=PR2020 |access-date=September 24, 2025 |website=State of Delaware Department of Elections}}</ref> She would go on to defeat Republican nominee Alexander M. Homich with 14,044 votes (75.84%) in the General Election.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 11, 2020 |title=2020 General Election Report |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=GE2020 |access-date=September 24, 2025 |website=State of Delaware Department of Elections}}</ref>
2022: Pinkney was unopposed in the General Election held on November 8, 2022.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 12, 2022 |title=2022 General Election Report |url=https://elections.delaware.gov/results/html/index.shtml?electionId=GE2022 |access-date=September 24, 2025 |website=State of Delaware Department of Elections}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == *[http://marieforsenate.com Pinkney campaign website]
{{Authority control}} {{Delaware State Senators}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinkney, Marie}} Category:American social workers Category:African-American state legislators in Delaware Category:Women state legislators in Delaware Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party members of the Delaware House of Representatives Category:LGBTQ state legislators in Delaware Category:African-American LGBTQ people Category:American queer women Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Howard High School of Technology alumni Category:21st-century members of the Delaware General Assembly
{{Delaware-politician-stub}}