Elijah Eugene Cummings (January 18, 1951October 17, 2019) was an American politician and
civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life o ...
advocate who served in the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
for from 1996 until his death in 2019, when he was succeeded by his predecessor
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume ( ; born Frizzell Gerald Gray; October 24, 1948) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district, first serving from 1987 to 1996 and again since 2020. A member of the Democratic ...
. The district he represented included over half of the
city of Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic, and the 30th most populous city in the United States with a population of 585,708 in 2020. Baltimore was ...
, including most of the majority-black precincts of
Baltimore County
Baltimore County ( , locally: or ) is the third-most populous county in the U.S. state of Maryland and is part of the Baltimore metropolitan area. Baltimore County (which partially surrounds, though does not include, the independent City of ...
, and most of
Howard County, Maryland. A member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
, Cummings previously served in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
from 1983 to 1996.
Cummings served as the chair of the
Committee on Oversight and Reform
The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives.
The committee's broad jurisdiction and legislative authority make it one of the most influential and powerful panels in the ...
from January 2019 until his death in October of the same year.
Early life, education, and career
Cummings was born on January 18, 1951, in Baltimore, son of Ruth Elma () and Robert Cummings. His parents were
sharecroppers
Sharecropping is a legal arrangement with regard to agricultural land in which a landowner allows a tenant to use the land in return for a share of the crops produced on that land.
Sharecropping has a long history and there are a wide range ...
. He was the third child of seven. When he was 11 years old, Cummings and some friends worked to integrate a segregated swimming pool in South Baltimore.
Cummings graduated with honors from
Baltimore City College high school in 1969.
He then attended
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...
in
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
,
where he served in the
student government as sophomore class president, student government treasurer, and later student government president. He became a member of the
Phi Beta Kappa Society and graduated in 1973 with a
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man who is not and has never been married.Bachelors are, in Pitt & al.'s phrasing, "men who live independently, outside of their parents' home and other institutional settings, who are neither married nor cohabitating". ().
Etymo ...
's degree in
Political Science
Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and la ...
.
Cummings graduated from
law school at the
University of Maryland School of Law
The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (formerly University of Maryland School of Law) is the law school of the University of Maryland, Baltimore and is located in Baltimore City, Maryland, U.S. Its location places Maryland L ...
, receiving his
Juris Doctor in 1976, and was admitted to the bar in Maryland later that year. He practiced law for 19 years before first being elected to the United States House of Representatives in the
1996 election.
For 14 years, Cummings served in the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
. His predecessor,
Lena King Lee
Lena King Lee (1906–2006) was an American educator, attorney, and politician who entered politics at the age of 60 and became one of the first African-American women elected to the Maryland General Assembly. Lee advocated for teachers' rights, ...
, raised funds and campaigned for him; years later, Cummings credited her with launching his political career. In the
Maryland General Assembly
The Maryland General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland that convenes within the State House in Annapolis. It is a bicameral body: the upper chamber, the Maryland Senate, has 47 representatives and the lower chamber ...
, he served as Chairman of the
Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland
The Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, Inc. (also known as The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus) is an American political organization composed of African Americans elected to the Maryland General Assembly. Incorporated in 1970, the Caucus me ...
and was the first African American in Maryland history to be named
Speaker Pro Tempore
A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being".
...
, the second highest position in the House of Delegates.
Cummings also served on several boards and commissions, both in and out of Baltimore. Those include SEED Schools of Maryland Board of Directors and the University of Maryland Law School Board of Advisors. He served on numerous Maryland boards and commissions including the Board of Visitors to the
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...
and the Elijah Cummings Youth Program in
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
. He was an honorary member of the
Baltimore Zoo
The Maryland Zoo — also known as The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and formerly known as The Baltimore City Zoo or the Baltimore Zoo — is a 135-acre park located in historic Druid Hill Park in the northwestern area of the City of Baltimore, Mary ...
Board of Trustees.
In addition to his speaking engagements, he wrote a biweekly column for the ''
Baltimore Afro-American
The ''Baltimore Afro-American'', commonly known as ''The Afro'' or ''Afro News'', is a weekly African-American newspaper published in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the flagship newspaper of the ''AFRO-American'' chain and the longest-running Africa ...
'' newspaper.
Congressman Elijah Cummings was a member of
Phi Beta Sigma fraternity and a
Prince Hall Mason.
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
**
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
**
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials
*
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chair)
**
Subcommittee on Domestic Policy.
**
Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and District of Columbia.
*
Select Committee on Benghazi (Ranking Minority Member 114th Congress)
In December 2010,
Edolphus Towns
Edolphus "Ed" Towns Jr. (born July 21, 1934) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2013. A Democrat from New York, Towns was Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee ...
announced that he would not seek the position of
ranking minority member
In United States politics, a ranking member is the most senior member of a congressional or state legislative committee from the minority party. On many committees the ranking minority member, along with the Chair, serve as '' ex officio'' member ...
of the Oversight Committee in the next Congress, even though his
seniority
Seniority is the state of being older or placed in a higher position of status relative to another individual, group, or organization. For example, one employee may be senior to another either by role or rank (such as a CEO vice a manager), or by ...
and service as chair would typically result in his filling this post. Reportedly, Towns withdrew because of a lack of support from
Nancy Pelosi who feared that he would not be a sufficiently aggressive leader of Democrats in an anticipated struggle with incoming committee chair Republican
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa ( ; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...
.
Reportedly, the White House also wanted Towns to be replaced. Cummings defeated
Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Jane Maloney (née Bosher, February 19, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013, and for from 1993 to 2013. The district includes most of Manhattan's East Side, Astoria and Long Island City ...
in a vote of the House Democratic Caucus.
In his role as chair of the Oversight Committee, Cummings presided over the first public testimony by President Trump's former lawyer,
Michael Cohen, and was a leading figure in the
impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump
The inquiry process which preceded the first impeachment of Donald Trump, 45th president of the United States, was initiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on September 24, 2019, after a whistleblower alleged that Donald Trump may have ab ...
.
Carolyn Maloney
Carolyn Jane Maloney (née Bosher, February 19, 1946) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2013, and for from 1993 to 2013. The district includes most of Manhattan's East Side, Astoria and Long Island City ...
was named acting chair by
Speaker
Speaker may refer to:
Society and politics
* Speaker (politics), the presiding officer in a legislative assembly
* Public speaker, one who gives a speech or lecture
* A person producing speech: the producer of a given utterance, especially:
** I ...
Nancy Pelosi, and won the subsequent election in the
Democratic caucus to serve as permanent chair.
Caucus memberships
* Task Force on Health Care Reform
* Co-founder and Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy
*
Congressional Arts Caucus
The Congressional Arts Caucus is a registered Congressional Member Organization for the US House of Representatives in the 115th Congress.
History
The Congressional Arts Caucus was created in the 1980s as a way for the various members of Congres ...
*
Afterschool Caucuses
The Afterschool Caucuses are bipartisan caucuses in the United States Congress established to build support for afterschool programs and increase resources for afterschool care. Senators Lisa Murkowski ( R- AK) and Tina Smith ( D- MN) chair the Se ...
Cummings was a member of the
Congressional Progressive Caucus
The Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) is a congressional caucus affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States Congress. The CPC represents the most left-leaning faction of the Democratic Party. " e Congressional Progressive Cau ...
. He served as chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) is a caucus made up of most African-American members of the United States Congress. Representative Karen Bass from California chaired the caucus from 2019 to 2021; she was succeeded by Representative Joyce B ...
during the
108th United States Congress
The 108th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives from January 3, 2003 to January 3, 2005, during ...
.
Cummings received praise following the congressional panel hearings on
steroids in 2008. While investigating the use of
steroids in sports, the panel called numerous
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...
players to testify, including former single season home run record holder
Mark McGwire
Mark David McGwire (born October 1, 1963), nicknamed "Big Mac", is an American former professional baseball first baseman who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1986 to 2001 for the Oakland Athletics and the St. Louis Card ...
. After McGwire answered many questions in a vague fashion, Cummings demanded to know if he was "taking the Fifth", referring to the
Fifth Amendment. McGwire responded by saying, "I am here to talk about the future, not about the past." The exchange came to epitomize the entire inquiry.
Legislation
Cummings introduced the
Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014
The Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014 () is a United States federal statute which amended the Presidential Records Act and Federal Records Act. Introduced as , it was signed into law by President Barack Obama on November 26, ...
, a bipartisan bill signed into law by then-President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
in December 2014. The bill, which Cummings co-sponsored with Representative
Darrell Issa
Darrell Edward Issa ( ; born November 1, 1953) is an American businessman and politician who has served as the U.S. representative for California's 50th congressional district since 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served ...
, (R-California), is a set of amendments to the
Federal Records Act
The Federal Records Act of 1950 is a United States federal law that was enacted in 1950. It provides the legal framework for federal records management, including record creation, maintenance, and disposition.Richard J. Cox, ''Closing an Era: Histo ...
and
Presidential Records Act
The Presidential Records Act (PRA) of 1978, , is an Act of the United States Congress governing the official records of Presidents and Vice Presidents created or received after January 20, 1981, and mandating the preservation of all presidentia ...
. Among other provisions, the bill modernizes the definition of a federal record to expressly include electronic documents.
[National Archives Welcomes Presidential and Federal Records Act Amendments of 2014](_blank)
(press release), National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...
(December 1, 2014).[Charles S. Clark]
Obama Signs Modernized Federal Records Act
, Government Executive (December 1, 2014).
He supported the
Smart Savings Act, a bill that would make the default investment in the
Thrift Savings Plan
The Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) is a defined contribution plan for United States civil service employees and retirees as well as for members of the uniformed services. As of December 31, 2020, TSP has approximately 6.2million participants (of wh ...
(TSP) an age-appropriate
target date asset allocation investment fund (L Fund) instead of the Government Securities Investment Fund (G Fund).
Cummings called the bill a "commonsense change" and argued that the bill "will enable workers to take full advantage of a
diversified fund designed to yield higher returns".
He introduced the
All Circuit Review Extension Act
The All Circuit Review Extension Act (; ) is an Act that extended for three years the authority for federal employees who appeal a judgment of the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) to file their appeal at any federal court, instead of only the ...
, a bill that would extend for three years the authority for federal employees who appeal a judgment of the
Merit Systems Protection Board
The Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) is an independent quasi-judicial agency established in 1979 to protect federal merit systems against partisan political and other prohibited personnel practices and to ensure adequate protection for federa ...
(MSPB) to file their appeal at any U.S. circuit court of appeals, instead of only the
U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit
The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (in case citations, D.C. Cir.) is one of the thirteen United States Courts of Appeals. It has the smallest geographical jurisdiction of any of the U.S. federal appellate cou ...
.
Cummings said that this program is important to extend because it "allows
whistleblowers
A whistleblower (also written as whistle-blower or whistle blower) is a person, often an employee, who reveals information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe or fraudulent. Whi ...
to file appeals where they live rather than being limited to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals".
He also said that the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals has "an abysmal track record in whistleblower cases".
In remarks at the
2016 Democratic National Convention
The 2016 Democratic National Convention was a presidential nominating convention, held at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from July 25 to 28, 2016. The convention gathered delegates of the Democratic Party, the majo ...
, Cummings declared: "Our party does not just believe, but understands, that
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...
. But we also recognize that our community and our law enforcement work best when they work together."
Tenure
Rep. Cummings was shown to be very passionate and dedicated in his beliefs, and could often be seen becoming emotional in public as a result. Cummings was seemingly very agreeable as well. According to many, Cummings would often befriend members of the
Republican Party, and was highly respected by both sides of the aisle.
Political campaigns
The five-term Congressman for Maryland's 7th congressional district,
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume ( ; born Frizzell Gerald Gray; October 24, 1948) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district, first serving from 1987 to 1996 and again since 2020. A member of the Democratic ...
, resigned in February 1996 to take the presidency of the
NAACP. Cummings won a crowded twenty-seven-way Democratic primary—the real contest in this heavily Democratic, black-majority district—with 37.5% of the vote. In the special election, he defeated
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
Kenneth Kondner with over 80 percent of the vote. He defeated Kondner again in November by a similar margin to win the seat in his own right.
He was reelected 11 more times in the contests which followed, never dropping below 69 percent of the vote. He ran unopposed in 2006.
Electoral history
: Results 1996–2018
Personal life
Cummings lived in the
Madison Park community in Baltimore and was an active member of the New Psalmist Baptist Church.
He married Joyce Matthews, with whom he had a daughter, Jennifer J. Cummings.
He had a son and a daughter, Adia Cummings, from other relationships.
He married
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
Maya Michelle Rockeymoore Cummings (born January 31, 1971) is an American consultant, politician, and former chair of the Maryland Democratic Party in the United States. Before her election as party chair, she briefly ran for Governor of Maryla ...
in 2009, who was elected chairwoman of the
Maryland Democratic Party
The Maryland Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the state of Maryland, headquartered in Annapolis. The current state party chair is Yvette Lewis. It is currently the dominant party in the state, controlling all but one ...
in December 2018.
In June 2011, his nephew Christopher Cummings, son of his brother James, was murdered at his off-campus house near
Old Dominion University
Old Dominion University (Old Dominion or ODU) is a public research university in Norfolk, Virginia. It was established in 1930 as the Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary and is now one of the largest universities in Virginia w ...
in
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the No ...
,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
, where he was a student. On August 12, 2021, Norfolk Police charged four individuals with the murder of Christopher Cummings.
Cummings underwent surgery to repair his
aortic valve
The aortic valve is a valve in the heart of humans and most other animals, located between the left ventricle and the aorta. It is one of the four valves of the heart and one of the two semilunar valves, the other being the pulmonary valve. Th ...
in May 2017 and was absent from Capitol Hill for two months. In July 2017, he developed a surgery-related infection but returned to work. Cummings was later hospitalized for a knee infection.
Cummings was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called
thymic carcinoma
Thymic carcinoma, or type C thymoma, is a malignancy of the thymus. It is a rare cancer that is often diagnosed at advanced stages. Recurrence following treatment is common, and thymic carcinoma is associated with a poor prognosis.
Epidemiology ...
in 1994 while serving as a member of the
Maryland House of Delegates
The Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the legislature of the State of Maryland. It consists of 141 delegates elected from 47 districts. The House of Delegates Chamber is in the Maryland State House on State Circle in Annapolis, ...
. It was revealed in November 2019 that Cummings had lived with the cancer for 25 years, though it was not stated as the cause of death.
Death
Elijah Cummings died on October 17, 2019, at
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 m ...
at the age of 68 from "complications concerning longstanding health challenges", his spokeswoman stated.
Before his funeral service on October 25 at Baltimore's New Psalmist Baptist Church, where he was a member for 40 years, Cummings lay in state at the U.S. Capitol Building's
Statuary Hall on October 24.
Cummings is the first African American lawmaker to achieve the honor of
lying in state at the nation's Capitol.
Prior to his death, the most recent people to lie in state were former Senator
John McCain and former President
George H. W. Bush. Following a state funeral which was attended by family and members of Congress,
thousands of public mourners were seen entering the U.S. Capitol to see his casket and received greetings from his widow, Maya Rockeymoore-Cummings.
His casket departed from the U.S. Capitol at around 8:35 p.m.
On October 25, 2019, the official funeral for Cummings was held at the New Psalmist Baptist Church in Baltimore. Many political figures of the Democratic Party, including former Presidents
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
and
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
, former Secretary of State
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
, House Speaker
Nancy Pelosi,
Joe Biden,
John Lewis
John Robert Lewis (February 21, 1940 – July 17, 2020) was an American politician and civil rights activist who served in the United States House of Representatives for from 1987 until his death in 2020. He participated in the 1960 Nashville ...
,
Amy Klobuchar,
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as a ...
,
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and his predecessor
Kweisi Mfume
Kweisi Mfume ( ; born Frizzell Gerald Gray; October 24, 1948) is an American politician who is the U.S. representative for Maryland's 7th congressional district, first serving from 1987 to 1996 and again since 2020. A member of the Democratic ...
(who then became his successor) attended the funeral service.
Political positions
Healthcare
Representative Cummings was in favor of
single-payer healthcare
Single-payer healthcare is a type of universal healthcare in which the costs of essential healthcare for all residents are covered by a single public system (hence "single-payer").
Single-payer systems may contract for healthcare services from ...
. While he supported The
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
, he believed the legislation should have added a public option.
Marijuana
Cummings believed that
marijuana should be legalized and taxed at the same rate as
alcohol.
Honors and awards
Cummings was awarded many honors and awards in recognition of his political career. These include:
Honorary degrees
* Cummings received 13 honorary doctoral degrees from universities across the United States, most recently an honorary doctorate of public service from the
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...
in 2017.
;Honorary degrees
See also
*
List of African-American United States representatives
The United States House of Representatives has had 156 elected African Americans, African-American members, of whom 150 have been representatives from U.S. states and 6 have been Non-voting members of the United States House of Representatives, ...
*
List of United States Congress members who died in office
There are several lists of United States Congress members who died in office. These include:
*List of United States Congress members who died in office (1790–1899)
*List of United States Congress members who died in office (1900–1949)
*List of ...
References
External links
*
*
Biographyat ''Maryland Manual''
Congressional Quarterly Voting and Elections Collection.
, -
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cummings, Elijah
1951 births
2019 deaths
20th-century American politicians
20th-century Baptists
21st-century American politicians
21st-century Baptists
African-American Christians
African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
African-American state legislators in Maryland
American columnists
American Prince Hall Freemasons
Baltimore City College alumni
Baptists from Maryland
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Maryland
Howard University alumni
Lawyers from Baltimore
Democratic Party members of the Maryland House of Delegates
Politicians from Baltimore
University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law alumni
20th-century African-American politicians
21st-century African-American politicians
Progressivism in the United States