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 (born January 31, 1971) is an American consultant and a former leader in the Democratic Party. She once served as the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. She also ran for important political offices, including Governor of Maryland and a seat in the United States House of Representatives. Today, she owns a consulting business in Washington, D.C..
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Early Life and Education
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She finished high school at John Jay High School. After that, she went to Prairie View A&M University and earned her first college degree.
She continued her studies at Purdue University. There, she focused on political science, which is the study of how governments work. She earned a master's degree in 1996. Later, in 2000, she received her doctorate degree. Her advanced studies focused on public policy, which is about how laws and rules affect people.
Her Career in Politics
Early Roles in Government
Maya Rockeymoore Cummings began her career working in public service. From 1995 to 1997, she worked for the Department of Health in Marion County, Indiana. In 1997, she moved to Washington, D.C. She became a legislative fellow for the Congressional Black Caucus. This group works to support the interests of African Americans in Congress.
Later, she worked for the United States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security. This committee deals with important programs like Social Security. From 1999, she served as the Chief of Staff for Congressman Charles Rangel. A Chief of Staff helps manage a politician's office and staff.
Running for Office
In 2017, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings announced she would run for governor of Maryland. This is the top leader of the state government. She received support from a group called EMILY's List, which helps women run for political office. However, she decided to stop her campaign in January 2018.
In December 2018, she was chosen to be the chair of the Maryland Democratic Party. This means she was the main leader of the Democratic Party in Maryland for a time.
In November 2019, she announced she would run for a seat in the United States House of Representatives. This election was special because it was to fill the seat of her late husband, Elijah Cummings. She ran in the primary election in February 2020. She also ran for the same seat in the regular election in June 2020.
Personal Life
Maya Rockeymoore married Elijah Cummings in 2008. He was a well-known member of the United States House of Representatives. 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 family includes her father, Thomas, who 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.
