Black GOP strategist Kimberly Klacik announces run for Elijah Cummings’ Seat

With the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings leaving his Maryland House seat open, Republican strategist Kimberly Klacik says she will "throw her hat in"

Last month, the nation mourned the passing of Rep. Elijah Cummings. Now, a Republican strategist who placed a spotlight on blight in his district has formally announced that she will be running for his congressional seat.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Kimberly Klacik, 37, who doesn’t even live in Maryland’s 7th District which Cummings represented, but vows that she would move there if elected.

READ MORE: Rep. Elijah Cummings: Politicians and celebrities react to sudden death of Baltimore congressman

“I am throwing my hat in the race for the 7th Congressional District,” she declared. “I’ve seen firsthand what a lot of people are going through. Our violent crime is up 52% in Baltimore County and it’s rising in Baltimore City, too. I don’t think it’s a coincidence.”

The news comes as Cummings’ widow, Maya Rockeymoore Cummings, who is chairwoman of the Maryland Democratic Party confirmed Monday that she will run for his House seat.

Cummings was a beloved figure and held the congressional district seat for more than two decades but Klacik has long been a vocal critic of what she believes to be poor living conditions in Baltimore. To that point, she’s often taken to social media to post photos of abandoned homes, trash, and rodents, which are in line with Trump’s previous verbal attack on Cummings and his city.

READ MORE: Obama, Clinton honor Elijah Cummings at his funeral: ‘He was the real deal’

 

“As proven last week during a Congressional tour, the Border is clean, efficient & well run, just very crowded,” he continued. “Cumming[s] District is a disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess. If he spent more time in Baltimore, maybe he could help clean up this very dangerous & filthy place,” Trump tweeted back in July.

READ MORE: Rep. Elijah Cummings, Donald Trump relations soured amid House investigations

During a later appearance on Fox News’ America’s News HQ: Weekend, Klacik, who is also a proponent of the Black Voices For Trump movement, defended Trump’s comments about the city stating, “He was literally repeating what everybody has been saying for years.”

According to the Sun, the 7th Congressional District is 68 percent Democratic voters, 16 percent Republican and the remainder unaffiliated, or voting with third parties. Despite the difficulty a non-Democrat would have in winning the seat, along with Klacik, two other GOP candidates have filed to run for the position.

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