Maya Rockeymoore Cummings facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings
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| Chair of the Maryland Democratic Party | |
| In office December 1, 2018 – November 11, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Kathleen Matthews |
| Succeeded by | Cory V. McCray (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Maya Michelle Rockeymoore
January 31, 1971 El Paso, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Prairie View A&M University (BA) Purdue University (MA, PhD) |
Maya Michelle Rockeymoore Cummings was born on January 31, 1971. She is an American consultant and politician. She used to be the leader of the Maryland Democratic Party.
Before that, she ran for Governor of Maryland for a short time. She also owns a company in Washington, D.C. that gives advice to others. Later, she ran for a special election in 2020. This was to fill the seat in Congress that her husband, Elijah Cummings, had held. She also ran for the same seat in the regular election that year.
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Early Life and Education
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She went to John Jay High School there. After high school, she earned her first college degree from Prairie View A&M University.
She then went to Purdue University to study political science. She earned a master's degree in 1996. In 2000, she earned her PhD, which is a very high degree. Her studies focused on how public policies are made.
Political Career Highlights
From 1995 to 1997, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings worked for the Department of Health in Marion County, Indiana. In 1997, she moved to Washington, D.C. There, she became a special assistant for the Congressional Black Caucus. This group is made up of African American members of the U.S. Congress.
In 1998, she started working for a special committee in the United States House of Representatives. This committee focused on Social Security. She then became the Chief of Staff for Congressman Charles Rangel in 1999.
Running for Governor
In 2017, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings announced she would run for governor of Maryland. She received support from a group called EMILY's List. However, she had to stop her campaign in January 2018. This was because her husband became ill and was in the hospital.
Leading the Maryland Democratic Party
In December 2018, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings was chosen as the leader of the Maryland Democratic Party. She took over from Kathleen Matthews. She served in this role for about a year.
On November 11, 2019, she announced she would run for Congress. This was for the seat that her husband, Elijah Cummings, had held before he passed away. In the election held in February 2020, she came in second place. Kweisi Mfume won that election. She also ran for the same seat in the regular election in June 2020.
Personal Life and Family
Maya Rockeymoore married Elijah Cummings in 2008. He was a member of the United States House of Representatives for Maryland. They were married until his death in 2019. Elijah Cummings had three children from earlier relationships. Maya Rockeymoore Cummings is not related to those children.
Her father, Thomas, was an officer in the Air Force. Her brother is an English teacher in Texas. Her sister, Meredith, is a doctor who helps people with pain. She also teaches at a university.
