Kimberly Klacik's New Ad Draws National Attention For 7th District Race, But A Johns Hopkins Political Scientist Says Odds Are Still Long For Republican Win
LATEST: Maryland's 7th Congressional District Race - General Election 2020 Results
BALTIMORE (WJZ) — A congressional race for the 7th District is getting a lot of attention nationwide.
The Maryland woman who documented Baltimore's blight and dumping last summer is now the Republican candidate for the seat.
Kimberly Klacik's new ad has been seen and shared by hundreds of thousands of people.
"Do you care about Black lives? The people that run Baltimore don't," she's heard saying in her ad.
The three-minute online ad titled "Black Lives Don't Matter To Democrats" was released Monday.
The Republican candidate takes viewers on a tour through the 7th District, where she's running against incumbent Kweisi Mfume.
"It's a good ad, fast-paced, not the usual talking heads. It will get attention," said Johns Hopkins Political Scientist Matthew Crenson.
It has gotten Klacik attention, with almost a million views on Facebook and 100,000 shares on Twitter. It taps into inner-city grievances.
"Left behind. Frustration anger," Crenson said.
Political scientist Matthew Crenson said Klacik's odds are still long.
"Practically impossible, even with a very good ad," he said.
Klacik has a steep electoral hill to climb. No Republican has earned higher than 27 percent of the vote in the 7th District in the past 18 years.
Crenson said the ad leaves out policy proposals and is misleading to blame solely at Democrats' feet.
"It echoes what President Trump said about the 7th District," Crenson said.
Late Monday night, Trump gave Klacik a nod on Twitter.
"Kimberly will work with the Trump Administration and we will bring Baltimore back, and fast. Don't blow it Baltimore, the Democrats have destroyed your city!" he wrote.
Klacik burst onto the national scene when she documented Baltimore blight last summer, causing President Trump to call the city "rat-infested" and blaming then-Congressman Elijah Cummings.
Klacik lost to Mfume in April's special election and squares off against him in November.
WJZ reached out for a taped interview with both Klacik and Congressman Mfume on Tuesday; both declined.
