Kimberly Klacik first gained prominence on the political scene by doing a video on Fox News revealing the horrific conditions of poverty that plagued her community. She asserted that then-Rep. Elijah Cummings had done a horrible job for his constituents and abandoned those who needed him the most in West Baltimore. Former President Donald Trump noticed the video and subsequently criticized Cummings on Twitter.
Klacik capitalized on this momentum and ran for Congress to replace Cummings after he died. She was the Republican nominee for Cummings’s seat in Maryland’s 7th Congressional District. She lost to Kweisi Mfume.
Yet not winning her election in some ways was a blessing in disguise. It is what Klacik has done afterward that should be of great importance to Republicans. In essence, she showed black people in inner-city communities how Democratic policies have failed them. She actively engages her community to help those who have suffered from Democratic failures. Moreover, she is showing how Republicans can actively engage minority communities.
Consider Klacik’s most recent endeavor. On Aug. 31, she discovered that schools in Baltimore were sending children home because they were not wearing uniforms. Families were unable to afford them. Klacik immediately started a social media campaign that brought donations from people across the country to help pay for uniforms. In less than 48 hours, Klacik secured funding to purchase uniforms for 27 students — and she is still going strong.
Mfume did not get uniforms for 27 students.
Baltimore City Public Schools CEO Sonja Santelises, with a salary of $339,028, did not get uniforms for 27 students.
Black Lives Matter founders purchased million-dollar luxury homes but did not get uniforms for 27 students.
Klacik did.
Next, consider Klacik’s accomplishments in the political realm. Democrats created this world of identity politics, focusing on candidates’ skin color and gender rather than merit and platforms. As such, Democrats frequently criticize Republicans for the lack of racial diversity in their candidates. However, Klacik started an organization called Red Renaissance that rejects such accusations.
Red Renaissance “supports the next generation of conservative leaders” running for offices throughout the United States. The organization brings Republican and conservative candidates of all races together and provides them guidance in their campaigns. The 15 candidates featured on the website for Red Renaissance include men and women of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Red Renaissance focuses on the merits of candidates’ character and platform instead of skin color. It is a direct challenge to the partisan attacks Democrats have launched at Republicans for years.
However, nothing changes if nothing changes. And it is such a change that Klacik is trying to accomplish. For far too long, Republicans put little to no effort to appeal to these communities. They abandoned all hope of showing the people who live in these areas the virtues of conservative principles. Yet helping those who are in need is a core conservative principle — a principle Klacik has embraced. Engaging these communities that were victimized by the failures of Democrats will help bring this change. Making a dedicated effort to show these communities the benefits of Republican ideals will help bring this change.
For being a relatively new political newcomer, Klacik can teach Republicans a lot.
