The Republican Central Committee of Howard County would like to express its deepest sympathy to the family of Representative Elijah Cummings (7th District). During a 36-year political career, Representative Cummings served 23 years in Congress, was Chairman of the House Oversight Committee, and was a Maryland Delegate for 13 years. He held 12 honorary doctorates, sat on numerous boards serving youth and the community, and broke new ground for African American leadership in Maryland.
Representative Cummings’s death is a loss to our entire community. Although he was a member of the opposition party, and sometimes fought for goals which did not match ours, we recognize that America’s strength is in its diversity of opinion. Our thriving, representative republic relies on citizen participation, activism, and on those who hold or seek to hold office having the compassion to represent all voices. As Representative Cummings himself said of our sometime divisiveness, “We are better than this.”
May his family find comfort in the many prayers and condolences they will receive as they celebrate his life’s work.