After a period of summer silence in the jockeying for position in the race to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski, a sign went up from Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings this week.
According to the Washington Post, Cummings hired a fundraiser who has made a name in U.S. Senate races, indicating he could be readying a campaign. Cummings, who is from West Baltimore, was one of the names frequently mentioned as a possibility to run after Mikulski announced her retirement. The Post reports he hired Ashley Martens, who is organizing a fundraiser at one of the Orioles-Nats games during next month’s series in D.C.
Cummings would be the first Baltimore-based politician in the race, with Donna Edwards and Chris Van Hollen being the other two Congresspeople in the race so far. Cummings was frequently seen on the streets and on national TV during the unrest that followed Freddie Gray’s funeral.
