After coming up just 420 votes short in 2022 of unseating incumbent State representative Mike Dodson, Kim Zito announced her candidacy for a rematch this November in the 67th legislative district.
Zito says she is running again at the urging of her husband.
“I came up short two years ago,” she said, “And when I came home that night from the election watch party, my lovely husband told me I needed to do this again.”
She further explained her reasoning saying that the legislature is not representing the views of the 67th district.
“In the course of the two years (since I last ran), we’ve seen so much demise and harm from our state legislature,” she said. “Quite honestly, the cost of doing nothing is just too high and I have to run again to stop the harm by building our numbers.”
Zito argued that Dodson’s views don’t represent the district’s views pointing to the district’s overwhelming opposition to a proposed anti-abortion amendment to the state Constitution in 2022 and Dodson’s votes on anti-abortion legislation in the past.
“Our views are not being represented by our current representative,” she said. “The district voted 67% against the [anti-abortion constitutional] amendment.”
She also argued in favor of Medicaid expansion, something Dodson has supported in the past.
“When we reject Medicaid expansion, we’re rejecting our own tax dollars,” she said. “We’re also running the risk of rural hospitals closing if we don’t expand Medicaid.”
Zito also says she supports property tax relief and fully funding public schools and special education.
Her campaign has so far raised over $41,000. She is the only candidate currently lined up to run in the 67th district as Dodson has not made his decision yet on whether or not he’ll run for a third term this November. The filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 6 primary ballot is Jun. 3.
