Former NAACP leader, Kweisi Mfume (D), and conservative commentator, Kimberly Klacik (R), won the Democratic special primary Tuesday for the Maryland congressional seat held by the late Elijah Cummings.
What We Know:
- A crowded field of 24 Democrats and eight Republicans were on the 7th Congressional District ballot.
- Mfume dominated in Baltimore City, taking more than 50% of the vote, and he captured more than 40% of Baltimore County. In Howard County, he was among the top three vote getters, with Cummings’ wife, Maya Rockeymoore-Cummings and Terri Hill. Klacik won decisively in all counties in the district.
- Diya Hafiz-Slayton yelled over the noise of the crowd at Mfume’s victory gathering in Baltimore to say she was thrilled he had won and cited his experience as a main reason for supporting him.
- Mfume was happy to accept the nomination. In a statement, he enthusiastically said: “I accept your nomination as the Democratic nominee to Congress. Experience matters.”
- After her win Tuesday night, GOP nominee Klacik tweeted: “We did it!!!!!”
- Baltimore resident Kyle Baylor, who voted for former Cummings aide Harry Spikes said, “Those are big shoes to fill”.
- Laura Shovan, 50, out of Clarksville, said outside a polling site in Highland: “It’s not just the seat. It’s that it was Elijah Cummings’ seat.”
- Joi Chapman, 31, of Baltimore found the large number of candidates difficult to filter. She voted for Rockeymoore-Cummings because she said she believed she was the most familiar with the late congressman’s views and policies.
The winners will run in a special general election on April 28 to serve through Jan. 3, 2021, and whoever wins the special election will have to stand for reelection in November to keep the seat.
