In remarks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention , Cumming declared : " Our party does not just believe , but understands , that Black Lives Matter . But we also recognize that our community and our law enforcement work best when they work together . " Five-term Congressman for Maryland 's 7th congressional district , Kweisi Mfume resigned in February 1996 to take the presidency of the NAACP . Cummings won a crowded 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 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
2016 Democratic National Convention
2016 Democratic National Convention
Elijah Cummings