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'Experience Matters' | Former NAACP Leader Kweisi Mfume Wins Democratic Special Election For Maryland's 7th Congressional District

BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) -- Former NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume won the Democratic special primary for Maryland congressional seat held by Elijah Cummings.

Maryland voters in the Baltimore area are deciding who the nominees will be to serve the rest of the late Elijah Cummings' term in Congress.

Kimberly Klacik Wins GOP Special Primary Election For Maryland's 7th Congressional District

Mfume was hoping voters send him back to Congress. Cummings replaced him when Mfume left to lead the NAACP in 1996.

"I promise you I will never, ever, ever, let you down," Mfume said, touting is experience.

"We have a lot of work in front of us," Mfume said. "We've got another 10 weeks in front of us -- take this all across the district and to ask people to join on."

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Tens of thousands of voters turned up to cast their ballots. The state board of elections reported 59,336 voters had been cast as of 5 p.m.

Conservative commentator Kimberly Klacik has won the GOP special primary in Maryland for the congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings. Klacik won Tuesday in a primary with seven other Republicans on the ballot.

She generated buzz with appearances on Fox News, and her social media posts prompted President Donald Trump to describe the district in tweets as a "disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess" where "no human being would want to live." Klacik is running in a tough district for the GOP.

Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4 to 1 there. If she wins in a special general election on April 28, she will serve out the rest of Cummings' term. Klacik would have to stand for election again in November to win a full two-year term.

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.

Full election results here. 

(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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