Campaign Website: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/

Campaign POC: Unavailable

Phone Number: Unavailable

Campaign Email:
info@bakerforva9th.com

Vetting Panel Selected: Refused

Structured Interview Completed: Refused

Biography: Karen Baker embodies unwavering commitment and a life devoted to public service. Born and raised in a humble Midwestern town, Karen’s journey from a small-town girl to a beacon of justice and care embodies the true spirit of fighting against the odds. A graduate of William Smith College with a degree in comparative religion and a J.D. from Catholic University Law School, Karen’s career spans over three decades of commendable service. As a trial lawyer for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, she championed the rights of those facing discrimination based on sex, race, and age. Her journey didn’t stop there; she further served as an Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration, touching lives for 17 years. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Karen’s life story is one of unparalleled empathy and strength. Raising her son Sean as a single mother for 15 years, Karen understands the struggles of everyday Americans. Her commitment extended beyond the courtroom to the heart of healthcare, where, after going to nursing school, she served as a registered nurse in a rural hospital’s intensive care unit. Karen’s personal life, marked by caring for her husband Richard through his battle with Lewy body Dementia and her own challenges, speaks volumes of her resilience. Today, Karen stands as a fighter for Southwest Virginia, pledging to secure good jobs and a strong economy, ensure access to affordable housing, and support accessible childcare. Her campaign is more than a candidacy; it’s a continuation of a lifetime of service. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Karen grew up in a small town in the Midwest. She graduated from William Smith College in Geneva, New York, with a degree in comparative religion and earned her J.D. from Catholic University Law School in Washington, DC. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Karen served her country as a federal employee for 30 years, first as a trial lawyer for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, litigating large-scale sex, race, and age discrimination cases, and ultimately as the Assistant General Counsel for Systemic Litigation. She went on to be a federal Administrative Law Judge for the Social Security Administration and served 17 years. Karen then went to nursing school at Greenville Technical College in Greenville, SC and became a registered nurse in 2011. She spent her nursing career at a small rural hospital, working first in cardiac step-down and then in the intensive care unit. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Karen has one son, Sean, who she raised on her own for 15 years; she married Richard Kimm in 2004. Richard was a Navy aircraft carrier pilot, Sean a Marine, and grandson Trevor also a Marine. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Karen and Richard kept a small farm in South Carolina for 20 years, tending their horses and fostering rescued border collies. Richard suffered from Lewy body Dementia in his last years, and Karen cared for him at home. He died in 2014. After his death, Karen moved to Floyd County, Virginia, where she cared for her horses and goats on a mountaintop farm until her hip said no, and she moved to town and got a new hip in 2023. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

She remains a member of the District of Columbia Bar, and has continued pro bono work assisting disabled individuals seeking disability benefits. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

In all of her endeavors, Karen has been guided by her father’s Quaker values, instilled in her since her first memory of his explaining service to others, when she was four. She sees this candidacy as continued service and will give it her all. We can do this! (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

​Southwest Virginia is filled with strong, independent people who want to preserve our way of life, keep our air and water clean, and find good jobs so that our children will stay here. I will fight for this. Southwest Virginia deserves respect. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

 

Why you? Refused to answer.

What are your priorities? (no details provided on website)

Good Jobs and a Strong Economy

Support for Public Schools

Support for Seniors

Affordable Housing

Universal Preschool

Bipartisan Cooperation

Broadband for All

Increased Healthcare Access

Free Trade School Education (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Endorsements:

Congressman Don Beyer – VA 8th Congressional District

Senator Saddam Salim – Senate District VA-37

Delegate Sam Rasoul – House District VA-38

Anthony Flaccavento – 2018 Candidate for Congress (VA-9)

Councilman Liam Watson – Blacksburg Town Council

Jade Harris – 2023 Candidate for VA Senate District 3

Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith – Blacksburg Town Council

Councilman Neal Osborne – Bristol City Council

Councilwoman Susan Anderson – Blacksburg Town Council

Regina Salyers – Former Executive Director of the Appalachian Agency for Senior Citizens (2010-2022)

Supervisor Sara Bohn – Montgomery County Board of Supervisors

Supervisor Phil McCall – Washington County Board of Supervisors

Vice-Mayor Dwayne Anderson – Abingdon Town Council

Councilwoman Lauren Colliver – Blacksburg Town Council (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Education: She graduated from William Smith College in Geneva, New York, with a degree in comparative religion and earned her J.D. from Catholic University Law School in Washington, DC. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

Relevant Employment History: See biography above.

Military Experience / Branch / Years of Service / Rank / Type of Discharge: No mention on website.

Past Offices Held and Tenure: Refused to answer. No mention on website.

Community Service: See biography above.

Leadership Experience: See biography above.

Personal Strengths: Integrity, passion, and resilience. 

What is the most important thing Virginians need to know about you? Refused to answer.

How would your friends and family describe you? Refused to answer.
 

What are your thoughts on the Constitution as the Law of the Land? Refused to answer. No reference to the US Constitution on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

    

What are your thoughts on religious liberty? Refused to answer. No reference to religious liberty on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

    

What are your thoughts on the preservation of our history? Refused to answer. No reference to the preservation of history on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thought on government transparency? Refused to answer. No reference to government transparency on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on national defense? Refused to answer. No reference to veterans or national defense on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the free enterprise system? Refused to answer. No reference to the free enterprise system on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the protection of the unborn? Refused to answer. No reference to protection of the unborn on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the role the family plays in America? Refused to answer. No reference to the role or importance of the family  on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes? Refused to answer. No reference to equal rights, equal justice and equal opportunity, as opposed to equal outcomes on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

   

What are your thoughts on the 2nd Amendment? Refused to answer. No reference the 2nd Amendment on website. (Source: https://www.bakerforva9th.com/)

  

Additional sources of information on this candidate:

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/bakerforva9th/

Flicker – https://www.flickr.com/photos/bakerforcongress/