Leading Democrat Rep. Elijah Cummings dead at 68

Congressman Elijah Cummings (D-Maryland) passed away at the age of 68 on Thursday, due to “complications concerning longstanding health challenges,” according to his spokeswoman.

Cummings was chair of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, one of the three involved in the informal impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump. He spent 14 years in the Maryland House of Delegates before winning a special election to the US House of Representatives in 1996.

His passing signaled a temporary truce in US politics, as both Democrats and Republicans paid respects to his long political career. Both the White House and the Capitol flew flags at half-staff on Thursday.

Cummings was an outspoken advocate for African-American issues. He represented Maryland’s 7th district, which included much of Baltimore, and won every election with 70 percent of the vote or more. In 2006, he ran unopposed.