Kimberly Klacik shares top priorities in push for U.S. Congress seat
BALTIMORE -- Kimberly Klacik, the Republican candidate for Maryland's 2nd congressional district, remains busy at her campaign headquarters in Timonium before the general election.
Klacik, a Prince George's County native, is challenging Baltimore County Executive Johnny Olszewski for the seat to be vacated by Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger.
"There are a lot of Republicans in this state, even though this is a blue state, and I think we need to continue to fight for our values and our morals," Klacik said.
Klacik, who is not endorsed by Donald Trump, says she is running a grassroots campaign this year knowing she is campaigning in a Democratic state.
"When you have people who come into play here who aren't politicians like myself ready to take action, I think both parties are now in a situation where those who are affiliated with their parties are like, 'Let's get with those who are taking action' and a little less than those who have been sitting in these seats for quite some time," Klacik said.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, while in-person early voting runs from October 24 through October 31.
Klacik's top priorities
Klacik emphasizes crime, violence and inflation as top priorities in her campaign.
"I do think right now our priorities should be the crime and violence issues," Klacik said. "I think it is our economy, inflation, we should be talking about energy costs. We had the collapse of the Key Bridge. We should be talking about infrastructure and getting that back up so people can get back to work."
During her 2020 campaign, critics accused Klacik of exploiting Baltimore's challenges for political gain, following an ad that highlighted the city's struggles.
Supporters praised her for bringing attention to the city's needs. This time around, Klacik says she doesn't need an ad to show that crime is still a problem.
"I never thought I would see a day where there was a shooting in Rodgers Forge or someone stabbed in Towson Town Center," Klacik said.
One of her goals is to supply law enforcement officers with the necessary resources.
"That's why I was talking about federally funding our officers and making sure they have what they need for recruiting efforts and training and whatever we need to trim this down," Klacik said.
Klacik has expressed strong views regarding border security and immigration, citing the murder of Maryland mother Rachel Morin, as a need for stricter enforcement.
"We've got to do something about the border immediately and I'm one to say we got to shut it down," she said. "We have to shut it down immediately."
"You're going to have a better economy"
Klacik hopes Maryland voters will back her vision for the future.
"If you vote for me, you're going to have a better economy, you're not going to have to deal with all of these immigration issues, and when it comes to public safety and our first responders, they're going to be taken care of," Klacik said. "I want to get in there. I already have lots of endorsements from members on Capitol Hill. I know I can hit the ground running."