Baltimore County Activist Brittany Oliver Eyes Ruppersberger Seat

Rep. C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D) appears to have his toughest Democratic primary challenger in recent memory, with Baltimore County progressive activist Brittany Oliver launching a bid to unseat the 10-term congressman.

Oliver, 33, a seasoned community organizer who kicked off her campaign earlier this summer, told Maryland Matters that the state’s 2nd District needs “new ideas, diversity and leadership.” Oliver supports a wide range of progressive reforms, including Medicare for All and the Green New Deal, and hopes her concrete stances on a wide range of issues will appeal to voters.

“We can no longer depend on … career politicians who do the bare minimum,” she said. “Running, for me, is about uplifting underserved, pushed-out communities and combating inequality.”

Oliver is the founder of Not Without Black Women, a grass-roots advocacy organization dedicated to empowering Black women, and hopes to continue that work in Congress. She wants Maryland’s currently all-male congressional delegation to better reflect the state’s racial and gender diversity. Her candidacy was first reported by The Baltimore Sun.

Read more: https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/07/28/baltimore-county-activist-brittany-oliver-eyes-ruppersberger-seat/