Citing unfinished business, Maryland progressive Mckayla Wilkes announced on February 11 that she intends once again to primary Rep. Steny Hoyer for the Democratic nomination to represent the state’s Fifth Congressional District.
In a statement, Wilkes said she was running as herself to give the district the honest representation she claims it’s been lacking.
“I’m running for Congress again,” Wilkes said. “But this time, I’m running unreserved as the person I’ve always been. A Black, queer, working mother of two who will never give up on fighting for what we deserve.”
Declaring that “it’s time for some damn change,” Wilkes said that she was running to unseat the powerful House Majority Leader, 81, because of her desire to institute a new progressive agenda in the caucus.
A difference of priorities
Hoyer has long been a frustrating figure for those on the left. His positions on foreign policy and his perceived closeness to corporations and the rich have made him a target for progressives—notably, in May 2020, Hoyer fought for fossil fuel bailouts in COVID relief funds, likening the payouts to the conglomerates to assisting essential workers. That was “egregious,” according to Oil Change International senior campaigner Collin Rees.
Wilkes is running on a platform chock full of progressive policies—the Green New Deal, Medicare for All, UBI, and more—and is eschewing corporate cash in a bid to differentiate herself from the incumbent.
Last time
Wilkes fell far short of beating Hoyer in 2020 with only 40,105 votes to the incumbent’s 96,664 votes. It was a disappointing showing against an incumbent whose priorities skew further to the right than the caucus he oversees.
But her run showed the potential of an insurgent progressive. According to the campaign: “Last cycle, the campaign raised nearly $500,000 ($200,000 in the final month leading up to the election) from over 9,000 small-dollar donors, knocked on nearly 60,000 doors prior to COVID-19, made over 400,000 calls to MD-5 voters, had over 600 active volunteers, ran TV ads across the district, and was endorsed by over 50 national organizations. Prior to Wilkes’ launch this cycle, the campaign has already received over 400 new volunteer signups.”
This time, Wilkes has one campaign behind her. And even in her loss, the progressive insurgent built relationships that are going to help moving forward. Wilkes beat Hoyer in in-person votes by 25 points on primary day—mail-in voting was a different story—and saw encouraging signs in the run-up to the vote.
“I ran a grassroots primary campaign against Steny Hoyer and received the most votes, the highest vote share, and the smallest differential to Hoyer’s vote share compared to any challenger in his 40-year tenure,” Wilkes said.
