In the wake of Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings' death Thursday, a special election for his replacement is expected to be held next year.
Cummings represented Maryland's 7th Congressional District, which includes Baltimore, Ellicott City and Catonsville. Cummings held the seat in the overwhelming Democratic district since 1996. He was chair of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, which has a leading role in the House's impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump.
Gov. Larry Hogan has 10 days to announce the dates of a special primary election and special general election, according to state law. That takes us to Oct. 27, at the latest.
Maryland's 7th Congressional District
Source: Maryland.gov
Credit: Anisa Holmes/NBC Washington
The special primary election must be held on a Tuesday at least 65 days after the governor's proclamation. Then, the special general election must be held on a Tuesday at least 65 days after that.
That means Cummings' replacement will be elected no earlier than March 2020.
[NATL-DC]Photos: Elijah Cummings Through the Years
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
It's not yet clear when a special election will take place, a spokesman for Hogan told The Baltimore Sun. His office did not immediately respond to an inquiry by News4.
Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York will take over the House Oversight and Reform Committee. She will serve as acting chair until Democrats choose a permanent chair at an undetermined future date, a senior Democratic leadership aide told the Associated Press.
Stay with News4 for more details on this developing story.
[[485967021,C]]
