BALTIMORE — At his home in Druid Heights, people -- his constituents, dropped flowers, tears and memories.
"He's gonna be missed,” a resident said, “He had made a difference, his work is done. And he's done a great, great lot for Baltimore and the state of Maryland."
Elijah Cummings made a career of pursuing social justice while anchored to the streets of West Baltimore.
First as a state delegate in Annapolis and then succeeding Kweisi Mfume to hold the seat Cummings would later come to define.
"This is a personal loss,” said Senator Ben Cardin. “It's a real deep loss for our community."
Cardin took that trip up the political ladder with Cummings, from the same high school to the state legislature, to Capitol Hill.
Tonight, the senator and others attended the Democratic Unity Dinner for Baltimore County but they were all unified by the silencing of a thundering and consequential voice for not just the nation -- but for this city.
"He never lost sight of his people,” Cardin said. “Always went home every night. He was in the community, he was in the schools...he was a people's person. You're not gonna be able to fill that void."
Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger served alongside Cummings his entire career.
He too, says he was always in awe of Cummings’ way with people...his connection to West Baltimore; how, no matter what -- he always laid his head back up on Madison Avenue.
"He really cared about his constituents and that's really important when you’re an elected official and Elijah was the best at that…and we're gonna miss him," Ruppersberger said.
