Walter Kirkland (third from left) and the 1981 Rutgers University Track & Field Two-Mile Relay Team and coaches. Image courtesy of Rutgers University.

That same discipline is what made Walter a Penn Relays champion and Track & Field Hall of Famer — achievements that didn’t come from luck, but from focus and mental toughness. The lessons he learned in those moments stayed with him: how to stay steady under pressure and how to lead with confidence when it matters most. And when his career brought him to Maryland, he carried those same values with him — not just to build a life here, but to invest in the people and communities that make the Fifth District home.

But Walter’s leadership isn’t defined by titles or trophies. It’s defined by service. For years, he has poured into his community through mentorship, helping young people find direction, build discipline, and belief in themselves. That work has earned him national recognition, including a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Office of the President of the United States.

Walter Kirkland at the South County Democratic Club event with former MD Governor, Martin O-Malley. March 2026

Walter also understands life’s hardest realities. He has experienced the pain of gun violence, and he knows how deeply mental health challenges can impact a family. He doesn’t speak about these issues from a distance — he speaks from proximity, and with empathy and urgency.

Walter Kirkland is running for office because he knows what it means to rise from struggle, to work for every step forward, and to bring others with you. In Congress, he will fight for safer communities, real economic opportunity, accessible healthcare, responsible innovation that lifts people up, and stronger schools. He is ready to lead on Day One, and he is committed to building a future full of hope and opportunity for every family in Maryland’s Fifth District.