McKayla Wilkes was a great candidate in 2020 and she's better now. Basically, her courageous race against Steny Hoyer was an opportunity to introduce herself to the residents of Prince George's, Charles, St Mary's, Calvert and Anne Arundel counties. This cycle is different. This time McKayla is going to finish the job and help retire the 82 year old Hoyer. Blue America has endorsed her once again and I want to appeal to you to contribute to her campaign by clicking on the ActBlue 2022 congressional thermometer below and giving what you can for a candidate who believes and will fight for systemic progressive change
There were two solid progressives in this race, the other being Mayor Colin Byrd of Greenbelt, who has now endorsed McKayla and launched his own campaign for the U.S. Senate seat held by Chris Van Hollen, a longtime status quo establishment kind guy. Now the MD-05 race is all about McKayla, who wants to actually represent the district, not the K-Street lobbyists who are Hoyer's main constituency. He is one of the most powerful members of Congress but without having ever addressed the housing crisis in his own district-- nor anywhere else. He has no plan and no interest and it isn't even mentioned on his website. McKayla, on the other hand, is campaigning loudly and clearly on affordable housing, promoting the national Housing Guarantee which includes a national cap on rent increases; federal loans and grants to municipalities and counties for the construction of twelve million new units of publicly- or communally-owned social housing over the next decade, etc.
I’m Running for Congress to Fight Corporate Political Power
-by McKayla Wilkes
These past 5 years have shown us how much power corporate America holds over our government. They buy our politicians to ensure that progressive policies that Americans need never get passed. Industries like Big Pharma and the fossil fuel sector use their profits to make sure that politicians know that they oppose policies like Medicare for All and the Green New Deal. Unfortunately, corporate dominance is bipartisan, with politicians from both parties more than happy to accept their money. That’s why regular people like me are stepping up and running for Congress. That’s why I’m running against Majority Leader Steny Hoyer to be the next representative for the 5th District of Maryland.
My North Star is simple: government should work for regular people, not protect the fortunes of those at the top. For too long, my district has been represented by a corporate Democrat more concerned with taking donations from health insurance companies than the needs of working families. He is too focused on catering to Big Pharma donors to remember he has a duty to represent his constituents by fighting for universal healthcare. But I know firsthand that people need Medicare for All! As rural and small hospitals keep closing in and around Maryland’s 5th District, Medicare for All will give people the ability to seek out medical help when they need it and provide a guaranteed source of funding for the hospitals taking in these new patients.
Steny Hoyer also loves to help out fossil fuel companies while taking their money. This is all while representing a community on the front lines of a climate disaster. Across our state, pollution and rising sea levels threaten our health and safety. Furthermore, I live in the shadow of unclean power plants, which harm my working-class neighbors, who are often people of color. I’m fighting for a Green New Deal because we are the last generation able to prevent a truly catastrophic climate disaster. With a Green New Deal, my community can fight back against these dangers with new, good, green jobs, sustainable energy production, and live in a state with clean air and clean water.
The challenges we face and the solutions they require means we need to elect politicians who will say no to corporate political power. That’s why I’m proud to say I never have and never will accept a penny of corporate PAC money. I am 100% committed to serving the interests of everyday people and listening to the concerns of my constituents, not special interests with deep pockets. Unfortunately, people in my district never know if Steny Hoyer is doing something because it will help our district or if it will help his corporate donors. My promise is that as a Representative, my community will know I always stand with them-- not the fossil fuel industry, not the private health insurance industry, not any other special corporate interests. Last cycle, our people-funded campaign came closer than any challenger in 40 years to beating Hoyer, and we won the in-person vote. I’m running again to finish the job because our district deserves better.
I’m running because it’s time for some damn change.