Meet Mckayla

My name is Mckayla Wilkes. I’m running to represent Maryland’s 5th Congressional District because we deserve a representative who will fight for criminal justice and public education reform, affordable housing, healthcare, economic and racial justice. When I was a child, I was incarcerated for missing class while dealing with grief undiagnosed depression after losing my aunt in the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the Pentagon. When I was pregnant with my daughter, I nearly died due to deep-vein thrombosis after my pain was repeatedly dismissed, then watched as my insurance company attempted to deny covering life-saving medication. I’ve had to support my family while living paycheck-to-paycheck. All of these experiences are how I know firsthand it’s time for change.

I first ran in 2020 to fight for working-class people who feel disenfranchised by our political system. With the help of a great team behind me, we built a grassroots movement unlike any seen before in MD-05. We knocked on over 57,000 doors (before the pandemic hit) and made over 400,000 calls to voters. Every conversation began the same way: “What issues are most important to you?” Our campaign won more votes than any Democratic challenger in 40 years. Since then, I co-founded the youth-led advocacy organization Schools Not Jails to ensure no one experiences the school-to-prison pipeline like I was forced to.

Now, I’m running for Congress again – because Change Can’t Wait. Without a doubt, our political system has been and continues to be dominated by corporate money and lobbying. As your representative, I will work to serve the interests of everyday people and will listen to the concerns of my constituents, not special interests with deep pockets. It’s time to prioritize the concerns of working families in our district. We need a clear voice for bold, progressive policies. We need a representative who hears our voices, feels our pain, and lives our struggles. There is so much at stake: our children’s future, the health of our communities, and the livelihoods of our families are all on the line. I hope you will trust me to fight for you.