By Yuchabel Sanon
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
In the era of Donald Trump, the Republican Party might not seem particularly friendly to people of color. But that hasn’t stopped two African American women from the Baltimore area from seeking public office as members of the GOP.
Shannon Wright and Kim Klacik are making serious runs this year for mayor and U.S. Congress, respectively, as staunch Republicans. Both say that voters should look beyond party labels and instead evaluate their values and policy proposals before deciding how they will cast their ballots on Tuesday.
Neither believes that the Republican Party is inherently racist, and both argue that Black voters have a place in the GOP.
“Hostility, racism and bigotry knows no party affiliation,” Wright said. “You find that everywhere – not because of the party, but because of the people.”
According to the Pew Research Center, about 87 percent of Black women identify as Democrats. Black women were also seen as critical to the Democratic Party’s takeover of the House of Representatives during the 2018 midterm elections, and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is hoping the see similar results on Tuesday.
But those kinds of statistics don’t mean much for Wright and Klacik, both of whom chose to run as Republicans because they like what the party stands for.
Klacik said the Republican Party shares the same values as she does, such as strong family structures. She said she grew up with both her parents and saw the differences in her childhood compared to that of her friends who had only one parent. She also feels that the party values education more than Democrats.
“I am genuine about [my campaign],” said Klacik, who is seeking a seat in Maryland’s Seventh Congressional District against Democratic Kweisi Mfume. “To me this isn’t about being some politician or career. This is about actually doing right by the next generation coming up.”
Karley Ames, a supporter of Klacik who attended a meet-and-greet for the 38-year-old former businesswoman held on Sept. 24t, said she loves Klacik because she is a fierce woman who holds the same values she holds. “She will make Baltimore great again,” Ames said.
Wright, who is running against Democrat Brandon Scott for mayor, said it is not about the personality of either parties, but their platforms. The Republican Party is old school, she said, and believes that the government should get out the way.
Wright and Klacik are not alone.
Antonio Campbell, a political science professor at Towson University, said 10 Black candidates are running for positions in Baltimore as Republicans. He said African Americans are turning to the GOP because the Democrats have failed to fix the many problems plaguing Baltimore.
“They decided to run as Republicans because they saw how bad the other side was,” Campbell said. “Failing schools, public safety, violence in our streets that people don’t want to really deal with. So, they are looking and chose to be Republicans and run as Republicans.”
Klacik is a wife and mother to daughter Olivia, 4, and has lived in Baltimore County with her family since 2010. She is running for Congress because she wants higher quality of life for Baltimore residents. She said she wants cleaner streets, better education and promising career opportunities in Baltimore.
Wright is a wife, mother of four, and a pastor. She moved to Baltimore after losing her home and church as a result of Hurricane Sandy. She is a former vice president of the Yonkers, New York, NAACP, and says she has committed her life to improving public education, the community and the lives of its youth. She also grew up in New Jersey.
Klacik said the reason Black women and Black people in general don’t vote Republican is because the Republican Party has not presented itself to the Black community well.
Many Republicans don’t believe they can win public office in Baltimore and so they don’t even offer themselves as an option, Klacik said. She said that voting for Republicans will stop the corruption in the city.
Wright said that to get Black women to vote for Republicans, the party has to speak about the issues that are important to Black women, like education and safety.
Klacik said voters believe the Republican Party is hostile to the Black community because people are not getting the full picture of the GOP. She also said the news media perpetuates a false narrative that Republicans and President Trump are racist.
Klacik said she has received donations from many people in the party who are white, adding that it would be unlikely people who were raised as racists would give their money to a Black candidate.
“[The] so called White racist party donating to a Black Candidate?” Klacik said. “I just can’t imagine those people being racist and contributing to this campaign.”
Those who attended Klacik’s meet-and-greet on Sept. 24t agreed that race it not an issue for Republicans.
“Nobody’s worried about skin color tonight at this event,” said Chris Copeland, 41, a senior consultant from Phoenix, Maryland. “She’s out here and if you look around pretty much its predominantly white and supporting her as well. I think that’s a good thing for today, what’s going on in the world.”
Neither candidate said that they had received negative feedback on the campaign trail from other Black women.
Klacik said not everyone is going to like you. She said many of the Black women she has talked to have liked what she has to say.
Wright said once the political labels were removed Black women agreed with her on the issues she discussed and agreed with her that a change needed to be made.
Running as Black woman Republicans may seem like it has a lot of challenges, but neither women sees it that way.
Greg Terry, 40, a nurse and resident of West Baltimore, said a challenge Klacik might face is her image.
“No one walks the street of Baltimore in Stilettos and a skintight dress,” Terry said. “If you’re going to come into Baltimore City and want to talk about change, put on some boots, put on some gloves, and get to work.”
Wright said the biggest challenges she faces is the stigma left behind by Black female Democratic mayors who left office under charges of corruption, such as Catherine Pugh and Sheila Dixon. Wright emphasized that she is not like the mayors who came before her, adding that her character is clean and without corruption.
Wright said she wants to put in place reforms in the city police department to end charges of police brutality against African Americans. In addition, both women talked about rehabilitating the broken homes in Baltimore.
Wright said there are programs in Baltimore City that can help rebuild homes and ensure the people living and owning homes are the same people who were their originally. The program just needs to be used correctly to avoid gentrification that often forces Black residents out of neighborhoods they’ve lived in their entire lives.
Klacik, who lost a special election against Mfume on April 28 to replace the late U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, said she is running to win and is campaigning every single day to get the word out and help people register to vote.
Wright said if she wins the city wins because she will improve education, bring in new jobs, and make Baltimore safe. It’s no longer about only surviving but building generational wealth and putting our destiny back in our hands, Wright said.
“I will not be stopped, I will not be slowed down, I will not be dissuaded, pushed aside,” Wright said. “This is a fight for the soul of this city, and I will not give up on this fight.”