Stephanie R. Clark, the first Black woman to serve as mayor of Covington, is the Democratic nominee running for District 37 in the Virginia House of Delegates.
Clark’s father encouraged her and her siblings to volunteer in their community when they were growing up.
She grew up watching her parents attend city council meetings.
“They really got us involved,” Clark said.
In the early 1990s, she volunteered at her children’s school by helping their teachers make copies and answer the telephone.
Through her volunteer work, she began to hear about the issues facing her beloved hometown of Covington.
She was appointed to Covington City Council after the death of a councilman, then successfully ran for three more terms.
“That was really the launching board,” she said of her political career.
District 37 includes Alleghany, Botetourt and Craig counties, most of Rockbridge County and the cities of Covington, Lexington and Buena Vista.
Born and raised in Covington, Clark works for Total Action for Progress helping individuals released from jail.
She served as mayor of Covington from 2012 to 2016.
“I am a person that’s for the people,” Clark said.
As a member of city council, she learned that trucks coming from a mill on Alleghany Avenue and other vehicles were creating dangerous situations by not stopping for school buses. She received advice from Sen. Creigh Deeds of District 25 in Virginia, then she got a stop sign on the road.
She said she was called by God to serve as mayor, but she was told by some in Covington that they did not want a woman as mayor.
“I love my community. I love where I’m from, that’s why I’ve never moved,” Clark said. As Americans, she said we need to look at how we do what we do, because it is no longer the case that a group is making all the decisions for everyone, but that everyone is coming together to make decisions.
She said she decided to allow someone else to run for mayor after her four-year term because she felt it was time for someone else to step up like she had done.
She pastors an online community church.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Clark was a Community Engagement Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Health and set up vaccine clinics. She spread awareness to the community about the importance of education.
Clark and her husband, Orlando “Buddha” Clark Sr., have a son, Orlando, and a daughter, Victoria.
If elected to serve District 37, Clark would like to focus on schools and advocating for families and children. She is also concerned about healthcare.
She said she wonders how many of the children in the Covington area go hungry every day.
“Our children need to be protected,” she said.
She is also passionate about veterans’ rights, which she calls one of her “heartfelt platforms,” and a platform with which she would like to do more.
“It is so disheartening to me that our veterans can’t have housing units,” she said. Homelessness among our veterans is unacceptable. When they return home after serving their country, veterans should have accessibility to affordable housing.
According to Clark, District 37 is growing in population, which is a good change for the area. But presents the challenge of infrastructure in rural America.
“When we all decide to check a yes box or a no box, it weighs on us,” she said.
The public is welcome to attend a Meet the Candidate breakfast on Saturday, July 1, at 9:30 a.m. at 515 East Pine Street in Covington.
“I’m working for the people,” Clark said of her run for District 37.
Clark will be in Craig County for 4th of July celebrations.
She welcomes constituent comments and feedback at [email protected] and 540-958-6438. More information is available at clark4virginia.com.
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Rebecca Barnabi
