‘Our nation has lost a mighty fighter’: Twitter mourns US Rep. Elijah Cummings

He died at 68 of complications from longstanding health issues

Elijah E. Cummings was born a sharecropper's son Jan. 18, 1951.

Maryland Rep. Elijah E. Cummings died early Thursday of complications from longstanding health issues. As news of his death broke, many took to social media to honor him.

» RELATED: US Rep. Elijah Cummings, chairman of House Oversight Committee, dies at 68

Throughout his decades-long career, Cummings highlighted the struggles and needs of inner-city residency. He also played a major role in investigating President Donald Trump as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee.

Cummings recently underwent an unknown procedure and said he hoped to return to Congress about a week later. He had previously been treated for heart and knee issues.

On Thursday morning, politicians, including Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and Stacey Abrams, tweeted their condolences.

Several remembered him as a powerful orator who used his voice to fight for civil rights. They tweeted videos of some of his most memorable speeches.

Some used the hashtag #RIPElijah, which was a trending topic on Twitter, to pay tribute to the politician and to thank him for his service.

And many said his legacy would live on and vowed to continue his work.

» RELATED: Photos: Elijah Cummings through the years

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