Washington (CNN)Democrat Kweisi Mfume will defeat Republican Kim Klacik in a special election to determine who will take over the late Elijah Cummings' US House seat, according to a CNN projection.

       The election, which took place during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, was held to decide who would serve out the remainder of the term after Cummings, a Maryland Democrat, died last year at the age of 68.

       The Baltimore-area congressional district -- Maryland's 7th -- is heavily Democratic, which made Mfume the favorite to win. The most unusual feature of the race, however, was the fact that election officials strongly encouraged constituents to vote by mail as a public health and safety measure amid the Covid-19 outbreak.

       The election took place after Mfume and Klacik advanced to the general after a primary held in February.

       For Mfume, the win creates the opportunity for a comeback of sorts given that he previously held the congressional seat from 1987 to 1996 after which he was succeeded by Cummings. In the primary election, he beat out Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, the late congressman's widow.

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       In addition to previously representing Maryland's seventh congressional district in Congress, Mfume has served as a Baltimore City Council member and president of the NAACP. He is also a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

       Klacik has described herself as "pro Trump" with "zero tolerance for corruption" and ran on a platform emphasizing the Second amendment and economic development, among other issues. She has criticized socialism and called for change in the district and in Washington.

       This story has been updated with the results of the race.

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