Kimberly Klacik Wins GOP Special Primary Election For Maryland's 7th Congressional District
BALTIMORE (AP/WJZ) — Conservative commentator Kimberly Klacik has won the Republican special primary in Maryland for the congressional seat that was held by the late Elijah Cummings.
Klacik won Tuesday in a primary with seven other Republicans on the ballot. She generated buzz with appearances on Fox News, and her social media posts prompted President Donald Trump to describe the district in tweets as a "disgusting, rat and rodent-infested mess" where "no human being would want to live."
Klacik is running in a tough district for the GOP. Democrats outnumber Republicans by more than 4 to 1 there.
If she wins in a special general election on April 28, she will serve out the rest of Cummings' term. Klacik would have to stand for election again in November to win a full two-year term.
Crowd erupts in cheers for Rep. Kimberly Klacik after announced she won Republican Primary in 7th district in special election. She says she is excited and ready for April 28th. @wjz pic.twitter.com/z7nhSmihp5
— Kelsey Kushner (@KelseyKushnerTV) February 5, 2020
If she wins in a special general election on April 28, she will serve out the rest of Cummings' term. Klacik would have to stand for election again in November to win a full two-year term.
Twenty-four Democrats and eight Republicans are vying for the 7th Congressional District Seat held by Cummings, who died unexpectedly in October.
RELATED COVERAGE:
Tens of thousands of voters turned up to cast their ballots. The state board of elections reported 59,336 voters had been cast as of 5 p.m.
In the Democratic primary, a candidate who previously held the seat has been campaigning on his experience. Kweisi Mfume, a former NAACP president, was the district's congressman for five terms between 1987 and 1996. Mfume won the Democratic special primary election.
"We remind people as much as we can that in this case I'm proven, tested and ready to go to work on Day 1," the 71-year-old recently told The Associated Press.
The winners will run in a special general election on April 28 to serve through Jan. 3, 2021, and whoever wins the special election will have to stand for reelection in November to keep the seat.
(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)