Paul G. Pinsky (born March 5, 1950) is an American educator and politician who served as the Director of the Maryland Energy Administration from 2023 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served in the Maryland Senate from 1994 to 2023, and the Maryland House of Delegates from 1987 to 1994, representing District 22 in Prince George's County.
Early life and education Pinsky was born in Camden, New Jersey on March 5, 1950, where he attended Moorestown Friends School. He left New Jersey to attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he earned a B.A. degree in public affairs in 1972. While at GWU, Pinsky attended protests in Washington, D.C. that opposed the Vietnam War and the apartheid in South Africa and supporting women's rights. He and his wife attended a national labor demonstration in the 1980s. After graduating, Pinsky worked as an educator for Prince George's County Public Schools from 1976 to 1995 and worked as an organizer for the Maryland State Teachers Association until 2014. From 1983 to 1987, he served as president of the Prince George's County Educators' Association, a labor union that represents over 6,000 professional school employees.
Pinsky has been a member of Progressive Maryland since 2001.
Maryland General Assembly
Pinsky was a member of the Maryland General Assembly from 1987 to 2023, first being elected to the Maryland House of Delegates in 1986, after defeating incumbent David Bird in the Democratic primary election.
In 1990, after Burlington mayor Bernie Sanders was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Pinsky was one of a handful of progressives asked to organize a "Welcome to D.C. " event for Sanders. Pinsky later served as a delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention, pledged to Sanders.
In 1994, Pinsky challenged incumbent Democratic senator Thomas P. O'Reilly. During the primary election, O'Reilly resigned from the state senate to take an appointed post on the state Workers' Compensation Commission. Following his resignation, Democratic Party officials and aides of Senate President Thomas V. "Mike" Miller sought to appoint someone other than Pinsky to fill his vacancy, worrying that he would be "too liberal" and not enough of a team player. Pinsky was appointed to serve the rest of his term. He defeated Hyattsville city councilmember Charles J. Kenny Jr. in the Democratic primary, receiving 74 percent of the vote.
Pinsky was a member of the Maryland Senate from 1994 to 2023. At the time of his resignation in January 2023, he was the longest serving member of the Maryland Senate. Following the resignation of Senate President Thomas Miller in October 2019, Pinsky explored a run for senate president.
In February 2019, Maryland Republicans condemned comments made by Pinsky during a debate on a bill that would return control of school calendars to local school boards as an effort to link governor Larry Hogan to former Alabama governor George Wallace. In an interview later, Pinsky said that he had nothing to apologize for, saying "If the senator conjures something in his head, so be it."
Committee assignments Maryland Senate Chair, Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee, 2019–2023 (vice-chair, 2015–2019; member, 1994–2023; health subcommittee, 1994–2002; licensing & regulatory affairs subcommittee, 1999–2002; ethics & election law subcommittee, 2003–2006; special committee on renewables & clean energy, 2007–2010; chair, education subcommittee, 2003–2023, member, 1998–2023; co-chair, environment subcommittee, 2011–2014, 2017–2018, chair, 2007–2010, member, 2015–2023) Chair, Executive Nominations Committee, 2019–2023; Rules Committee, 2019–2023 Chair, Legislative Policy Committee, 2019–2023 Chair, Joint COVID-19 Response Legislative Work Group, 2020–2023 Member, Joint Committee on Federal Relations, 1995–2003 Member, Special Committee on Substance Abuse, 2001–2013 Member, Senate Special Commission on Medical Malpractice Liability Insurance, 2004 Member, Joint Committee on the Selection of the State Treasurer, 2007 Senate Chair, Joint Committee on Administrative, Executive and Legislative Review, 2003–2015 (member, 1999–2003)
House of Delegates Member, Environmental Matters Committee, 1987–1994.
Other memberships Senate Chair, Prince George's County Delegation, 2001–2003 Member, Maryland Green Caucus, 1996–2023 Maryland Bicycle and Pedestrian Caucus, 2003–2023 Maryland Educators Caucus, 2005–2023 Member, National Conference of State Legislatures (agriculture, environment & energy committee, 2007–2008; agriculture & energy committee, 2008–2023; education committee, 2008–2023; environment committee, 2008–2023) Member, Southern Legislative Conference (energy & environment committee, 2008–2023)
Moore administration In December 2022, governor-elect Wes Moore named Pinsky to serve as the director of the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA). During his tenure, the MEA played a more central role in the Moore administration's clean energy and climate strategies, launching programs to expand community solar and supporting efforts to develop offshore wind farms in Maryland. In November 2025, Pinsky announced that he would step down from his role at the end of the month. He was succeeded by Kelly Speakes-Backman, who served as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy from 2021 to 2022.
Political positions Pinsky has been described as one of the most liberal members of the Maryland legislature. He has gained a reputation as a champion of progressive causes, especially in relation to education and the environment.
Abortion In 1988, Pinsky voted in favor of an amendment to an abortion bill that would have loosened the restrictions on Medicaid-financing of abortions. In 1991, he voted in favor of a bill that would keep abortion legal in Maryland.
COVID-19 pandemic In May 2020, Pinsky sharply criticized Governor Hogan for his administration's acquisition of incomplete COVID-19 testing kits from South Korea. During the 2021 legislative session, Pinsky supported legislation introduced by senator Clarence Lam that would set new rules for emergency procurements. The bill passed and became law following a gubernatorial veto override on December 6, 2021.
Education Pinsky introduced legislation during the 2001 legislative session that would ban advertising in schools and prevent schools from entering into exclusive agreement with snack companies. The bill was killed in the Senate, where legislators voted 26–18 to bar the proposal from coming to the Senate floor.
Pinsky introduced legislation during the 2002 legislative session that would dismantle the elected school board of Prince George's County and replace it with an all-appointed panel that would serve for four years, and replace the position of superintendent and replace it with a chief executive officer.
Pinsky introduced legislation during the 2005 legislative session that would implement new limitations on sugary snacks in schools and require that schools attach timers to in-school vending machines that would shut them down automatically.
Pinsky introduced legislation during the 2016 legislative session that would give legislators a role in selecting the state superintendent. The bill was withdrawn after its sponsors determined that it did not have enough support in the Maryland Senate to withstand a veto from Governor Hogan.
Pinsky introduced legislation in the 2018 legislative session that would provide tuition-free community college for families that make less than $150,000 a year. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on May 4, 2018.
During the 2019 legislative session, Pinsky led a three-year effort of getting the Maryland General Assembly to pass the Kirwan Commission's reforms of public schools. In February, Pinsky voted down a bill that would expand the number of schools that can participate in the state's P-TECH program, saying that the program needed to be studied more before it could be expanded. He also supported a bill that would overturn Governor Hogan's mandate requiring schools to start after Labor Day. In April, he supported a bill that would provide an additional $700 million in funding for Maryland public schools over two years.
Pinsky introduced legislation in the 2022 legislative session that would ensure access to high-quality course and extracurricular offerings to students of virtual schools, requires teachers of a virtual class to be employees of the county, and cap the number of students from a single school to attend the county's virtual school to 10 percent.
Elections Pinsky previously introduced legislation that would have decreased the number of signatures an independent candidate would need to make it on a ballot.
In 2016, Pinsky proposed turning control over redistricting to a commission made up of legislative appointees provided that Republican states do the same.
Pinsky introduced legislation in the 2018 legislative session that would require presidential candidates to release their tax returns to appear on the ballot in Maryland.
Pinsky introduced legislation in the 2020 legislative session that would have created a ballot initiative that, if passed, would allowed gubernatorial candidates to select their running mate following the primary election.
Pinsky introduced legislation in the 2021 legislative session that would create a tiered system for using public funds to match qualifying gubernatorial campaign contributions through the state's Fair Campaign Finance Fund. The bill passed and became law on May 30, 2021.
During the 2021 special legislative session, Pinsky dismissed criticisms from Republicans that accused Maryland Democrats of passing congressional maps of using gerrymandering to draw a map that heavily favors the Democrats, saying that if Republicans opposed gerrymandering, they should support the federal For the People Act. In August 2021, Pinsky attended a rally outside the U.S. Capitol with hundreds of state legislators to pressure the United States Senate to pass the For the People Act.
During the 2022 legislative session, Pinsky introduced legislation that would give candidates the option of receiving public contributions from the state's Fair Campaign Financing Fund if they meet certain low-dollar fundraising thresholds and agree to spending limitations. He also supported legislation that would require vacancies in the Maryland General Assembly to be filled using special elections instead of gubernatorial appointments.
Environment In 2008, Pinsky introduced the Global Warming Solutions Act, which requires that greenhouse gases be cut by 90 percent from all businesses in the state by 2050. An amendment introduced by senator Nathaniel Exum and backed by the administration of Governor Martin O'Malley weakened the bill's function by making this an advisory goal.
In 2011, Pinsky was arrested at a civil disobedience protest in front of the White House against the construction of an oil pipeline.
In 2016, Pinsky introduced the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Act, which requires the state to cut its greenhouse gases by 40 percent of its 2006 levels by 2030. The bill passed and was signed into law by Governor Hogan on April 13, 2016.
In 2017, Pinsky attended an activist rally outside of the Maryland State House to promote legislation that would ban hydraulic fracking in Maryland.