Klimm, a Marine Corps veteran and transgender woman, is entering the race for the congressional seat held by Representative Lloyd Smucker.
A new Democratic candidate is entering the primary race for Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District. Sarah Klimm of York County filed on Tuesday to run in the Democratic primary.
A veteran who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for two decades and a transgender woman, Klimm is an advocate for veterans and LGBTQ+ communities.
In the Marines, Klimm led aircraft maintenance teams, serving at MCAS Miramar and Quantico. After retiring, she attended Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University but did not finish her degree. As a volunteer with Minority Veterans of America, she recommended proposed legislation and policy for Congress and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
She spent time in Iraq, Afghanistan, Japan, and countries across Africa during her time in the Marines.
She has been outspoken against President Trump’s executive order, “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
“To the policymakers and leaders who crafted and support this executive order: LET ME BE VERY CLEAR. We are not a threat to this nation but part of its strength. Transgender and non-binary people are woven into the fabric of America. We are parents, children, siblings, neighbors, service members, veterans, coworkers, friends, leaders, and advocates. Our identities are valid, our existence is not up for debate, and our rights are not negotiable. To the transgender and non-binary community, I want to say this: You are seen, you are valued, and you are loved. Policies like this do not define us, and they will not erase us. We have faced adversity before, and together, we will overcome this challenge as well,” Klimm said of Trump’s executive order.
Klimm recently served as an independent consultant with the VA on its study titled “Equity-Focused Implementation of LGBTQ-Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Hybrid Implementation-Effectiveness Trial.”
She was also selected to participate in the Class of 2025 Emerge Pennsylvania program, which trains Democratic women with the necessary skills to run for office. She is also currently pursuing a political science degree at Penn State University.
In a recent interview, Klimm said her campaign is still planning policy priorities. “It’s about bringing dignity back to governance. Our current representation has lost its common sense of purpose for the district,” she said.
Klimm said she has three children and is currently going through a divorce.
Klimm is currently the only Democrat that has filed paperwork to run in the primary in the 11th District. She will be campaigning in a deeply red district that has elected Republican Representative Lloyd Smucker for five terms in the seat.
