Democrat Kweisi Mfume says that if he regains the seat in Congress he once held in a heavily Democratic Baltimore area district, cutting violent crime in the city and its suburbs will be his top concern.
Mfume and Republican Kimberly Klacik won special primaries Tuesday for the congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings, who died in October.
In a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4 to 1, the Democratic nominee will be the heavy favorite heading into the April 28 special general election. The majority-black district includes parts of Baltimore's inner city that have struggled with drugs and violent crime as well as more well-to-do communities in the suburbs.
In this Jan. 21, 2020, photo, Republican 7th Congressional District candidate Kim Klacik takes part in the Maryland Young Republican forum at Woodlawn Library, in Woodlawn, Md. Democrat Kweisi Mfume and Republican Kimberly Klacik won special primaries, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020, for the Maryland congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings. (Kenneth K. LamThe Baltimore Sun via AP)
“The first thing I want to do is to find a way to drive down this level of violent crime and gun violence. There are too many victims," Mfume said in an interview after his primary victory speech. "There are too many murders and there’s too much fear.”
Baltimore had 348 homicides last year — the fifth straight year of more than 300 murders — making it the city's most violent year ever per capita.
Violent crime also has risen in other parts of the 7th Congressional District.
Kweisi Mfume, Democratic nominee for Maryland's 7th Congressional District, speaks at a victory party, Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2020 in Baltimore, Md. Mfume won special Democratic primary for the Maryland congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings. (AP PhotoGail Burton)
“The murder rate in Baltimore County doubled in the last 12 months,” Mfume said. "In Howard County, we’re seeing things that we hadn’t seen before, so I think most citizens are concerned about that, gun violence and crime. I am.”
Mfume stepped down in 1996 to lead the NAACP after serving five terms as a congressman and repeatedly told supporters “experience matters” in his victory speech.
Diya Hafiz-Slayton yelled over the noise of the crowd at Mfume's victory gathering in Baltimore to say she was thrilled he had won and cited his experience as a main reason for supporting him.
"He's from Baltimore. That is exciting to us, and we need that in Baltimore right now. We know that when he gets to Congress he's going to hit the ground running," she said.
For the GOP, Klacik gained attention last year after her social media posts showing trash in Baltimore prompted President Donald Trump to tweet that the district is a “disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess” where “no human being would want to live.”
Klacik has pointed to a federal program known as opportunity zones as a way of helping struggling parts of the district. The program, which is supported by the president, aims to spark private investment in distressed communities with tax incentives for people who invest in real estate projects and operate businesses in designated low-income communities.
“I am going to do whatever it takes with the administration, with the community, anyone that wants to help and push this," Klacik said at the debate in January.
A crowded field of 24 Democrats and eight Republicans were on the ballot. Mfume dominated in Baltimore city, taking more than 50% of the vote, and he captured more than 40% in Baltimore County. In Howard County, he was among the top three vote-getters, with Maya Cummings and Terri Hill. Klacik won decisively in all three counties in the district.
Mfume also led in fundraising, raising about $266,000, according to federal campaign finance reports filed in the middle of last month. Klacik led in fundraising for the GOP primary with about $48,860, according to filings.
Whoever wins the special general election will serve the rest of Cummings' term through Jan. 3, 2021 and have to stand for reelection in November to keep the seat.
Cummings, who won 12 terms in Congress, died in October at age 68. The civil rights activist's legacy figured prominently in the minds of some voters.
“Those are big shoes to fill,” said Baltimore resident Kyle Baylor, who voted for former Cummings aide Harry Spikes.
Clarksville resident Laura Shovan, 50, said Cummings was "such an important part of our community.”
“It’s not just the seat. It’s that it was Elijah Cummings’ seat,” Shovan outside a polling site in Highland.
The Democratic candidates included Cummings' widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, a former chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party, as well as several state legislators who live in the district.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — Delcy Rodríguez, who served as vice president to Nicolas Maduro and has vowed to work with the Trump administration, was sworn in as interim president of Venezuela in the country’s parliament building.
Rodríguez was sworn in by her brother, National Assembly leader Jorge Rodríguez.
“I come with sorrow for the suffering inflicted upon the Venezuelan people following an illegitimate military aggression against our homeland,” she said with her right hand up. “I come with sorrow for the kidnapping of two heroes.”
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) — The Venezuelan government on Monday sought to show its people and the world that the country is being run independently and not controlled by the United States following its stunning weekend arrest of Nicolás Maduro, the authoritarian leader who had ruled for almost 13 years.
Lawmakers aligned with the ruling party, including Maduro's son, gathered in the capital, Caracas, to follow through with a scheduled swearing-in ceremony of the National Assembly for a term that will last until 2031. They reelected their longtime speaker — the brother of the newly named interim president, Delcy Rodríguez — and gave speeches focused on condemning Maduro's capture Saturday by U.S. forces.
“If we normalize the kidnapping of a head of state, no country is safe. Today, it’s Venezuela. Tomorrow, it could be any nation that refuses to submit," Maduro's son, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, said at the legislative palace in his first public appearance since Saturday. "This is not a regional problem. It is a direct threat to global political stability."
Maduro Guerra, also known as “Nicolasito,” demanded that his father and stepmother, Cilia Flores, be returned to the South American country and called on international support. Maduro Guerra, the deposed leader's only son, also denounced being named as a co-conspirator in the federal indictment charging his father and Flores.
While Venezuelan lawmakers met, Maduro made his first court appearance in a U.S. courtroom on the narco-terrorism charges the Trump administration used to justify capturing him and taking him to New York. Maduro declared himself “innocent” and a “decent man” as he pleaded not guilty to federal drug-trafficking charges.
The U.S. seized Maduro and Flores in a military operation Saturday, capturing them in their home on a military base. President Donald Trump said the U.S. would “run” Venezuela temporarily, but Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Sunday that it would not govern the country day-to-day other than enforcing an existing ” oil quarantine.”
Rubio said the U.S. was using pressure on Venezuela's oil industry as a way to push for policy changes. "We expect to see that there will be changes, not just in the way the oil industry is run for the benefit of the people, but also so that they stop the drug trafficking,” Rubio said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.”
On Sunday, Rodríguez said Venezuela is seeking “respectful relations” with the U.S., a shift from a more defiant tone she struck in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s capture.
“We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” Rodríguez said in a statement. Her conciliatory message came after Trump threatened that she could “pay a very big price” if she did not fall in line with U.S. demands.
Before taking the oath of office, Venezuelan lawmaker Grecia Colmenares said she would “take every giant step to bring back (to Venezuela) the bravest of the brave, Nicolás Maduro Moreno, and our first lady, Cilia Flores.”
“I swear by the shared destiny we deserve,” she said.
A State Department official said Monday that the Trump administration is making preliminary plans to reopen the U.S. embassy in Venezuela.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said early preparations “to allow for a reopening” of the embassy in Caracas had begun in the event Trump decides to return American diplomats to the country.
Associated Press Writer Matthew Lee in Washington contributed to this report.
FILE - Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, left, and his son Nicolas Maduro Guerra who is running to represent Caracas as a lawmaker for the National Assembly attend a closing campaign rally for the regional election on May 25, in Caracas, Venezuela, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)
Pro-government armed civilians attend a protest demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores, the day after U.S. forces captured and flew them to the United States, in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
A government supporter holds an action figure of Super Bigote during a protest demanding the release of President Nicolas Maduro, who was captired by U.S. forces, in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Government supporters demand President Nicolas Maduro's release from U.S. custody during a protest in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
