Summary
Current Position: State Delegate of VA House District 79 since 2022
Affiliation: Democrat
Nadarius Clark is a progressive community activist, organizer, and Delegate representing the 79th district, which covers parts of Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Chesapeake.
He comes from a military family with a background in business entrepreneurship. Nadarius grew up in a strong faith community and his family attends Holy Light Church of Deliverance in Portsmouth.
Source: Campaign page
OnAir Post: Nadarius Clark
About
Source: Campaign page
Born in Norfolk, he attended I.C. Norcom High School in downtown Portsmouth. He worked his first job at the age of 14 at his local 7-Eleven.
After a house fire destroyed his family home in 2013, he went on to college and graduated from Virginia Union University, an HBCU in Richmond.
These experiences gave Nadarius the necessary perspective and commitment to improve the livelihood of the people of Hampton Roads.
Experience
Volunteer Experience
Nadarius has organized to elect Portsmouth Mayor Shannon Glover, with the non-profit Virginia For Our Future, and the Virginia Democratic Party to help elect Congressman Bobby Scott, Senator Tim Kaine, and President Joe Biden.
Contact
Legislative Assistant: Sullivan Peterson-Quinn
Administrative Assistant During Session: Minta Brown
Email:
- Government – DelNClark@house.virginia.gov
Offices
Capitol Office
E322
Phone: (804) 698-1079
District Office
P.O. Box 6412
Portsmouth, VA 23703
Phone: (757) 834-4758
Web
Government Page, Campaign Site, Twitter, LinkedIn
Politics
Source: Government
Committee Membership
Communications, Technology and Innovation
Public Safety
Subcommittee Membership
Public Safety – Subcommittee #1
Issues
Source: Campaign page
EDUCATION
As a graduate of I.C. Norcom High and Virginia Union University, a historically Black University in Richmond, Nadarius knows the importance of a good education.
In the wake of COVID-19, we need to ensure that schools at every level have the funding and resources for students to return to school safely. Additionally, Nadarius knows that many teachers make up the deficit in adequate funding out of their own, under-paid pockets. He will fight for teachers to receive adequate pay for themselves and sufficient funds for their classrooms.
Nadarius also understands that college isn’t for everyone and that especially in Hampton Roads, we need stronger investments in vocational programs and trade schools so everyone has access to a premier education and a chance at a decent livelihood.
THE ENVIRONMENT
For Nadarius, the fight for climate justice is personal. As the youngest person on the ballot in Virginia this year, Nadarius is personally interested in the future of this planet. Born and raised in the Tidewater region, Nadarius has seen the disastrous impact of climate change and rising sea levels in the Chesapeake, Norfolk, and Portsmouth region.
Nadarius opposes continued construction of the Mountain Valley Pipeline and pledges never to take fossil fuel money. He will support green infrastructure initiatives like the ones found in HB 2292 that would put a moratorium on all new fossil fuel projects by 2022.
RACIAL JUSTICE
Nadarius got his start in political organizing as an advocate for racial justice and he will continue to prioritize this issue in the House of Delegates. He will also fight for inclusive entrepreneurship, offering opportunities for people historically left out of government incentive programs, and education credits to open up opportunities for all Virginians.
Nadarius supports financial reparations to the descendents of slaves and supports initiatives to utilize the emerging marijuana industry to invest wealth in communities decimated by the war on drugs.
Across the south, 1,747 monuments celebrating the confederacy still stand in public view. Nadarius not only supports the removal of these statues, but their replacement with celebrated Black leaders and heroes of Virginia such as decorated war hero Sgt. William Harvey Carney and union spy Mary Richards Bowser.
POLICING REFORM
Too many Black and Brown people are subject to a criminal legal system that is anything but just. Nadarius supports common sense, humane reform to our policing system. He also supports ending qualified immunity in Virginia and investing in alternative dispute resolution to all non violent and mental health related crises for the safety of our whole community.
HEALTH CARE
Nadarius knows medical and health care is a fundamental right, and that it must be made available to every citizen under a universal, single payer program. Nadarius is particularly concerned about the mortality rate of Black and Indigenous mothers and the disparate impact of Covid-19 on Virginians of color.
Black and Indigenous mothers are two to three times more likely to die in childbirth than white mothers. Black, Latino, and Indigenous Americans have suffered hospitalization and mortality rates at 2-4 times and 2-3 times that of white Americans, respectively. This is unacceptable. Nadarius will fight for health equity for all Virginians.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Four of the top ten highest eviction cities in America are found in the Hampton Roads area. Nadarius believes we need statewide rent control and stronger investments in public housing. Additionally, Nadarius supports expanding tenants’ rights to ensure no Virginian is taken advantage of by predatory landlords.
LABOR RIGHTS
Safe working conditions, good pay, and strong benefits were at their peak in this country when the labor movement was at its strongest. Virginia is ready for the next great labor movement. Nadarius has learned from, and organized alongside, labor leaders from all over the country and he will continue this advocacy in the House of Delegates. In particular, Nadarius will fight to repeal Virginia’s disastrous Right to Work laws and join other states like Maryland in establishing a $15.00 an hour minimum wage.
COVID-19
Nadarius brings the perspective of a community organizer and an expert in Democratic field organizing to the education and dissemination of the COVID vaccine. Nadarius will fight for a State Vaccine Field Initiative to educate citizens one-on-one in their own communities to ensure everyone understands the safety and importance of this vaccine.
ECONOMY AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Due to red lining, zoning, and other civil segregation measures across Hampton Roads, so much of Virginia’s economic struggle is connected to racial discrimination. Nadarius will fight to provide resources to areas most in need of economic investment, and ensure that these resources support the communities, not outside corporations as an avenue to gentrify our neighborhoods.
Additionally, Nadarius supports massive investments to repair and modernize the Tidewater’s infrastructure. In the face of a changing climate and rising sea levels, this would additionally spur new economic growth by creating thousands of good-paying jobs.
Wikipedia
Nadarius Clark (born 1995) is an American activist and politician who has served as delegate for the 84th district of the Virginia House of Delegates since 2023, and formerly the 79th district from 2022 to 2023. Clark, a Democrat, defeated incumbent Steve Heretick in the Democratic primary and Republican nominee Lawrence Mason in the 2021 Virginia House of Delegates election.[1][2][3]
He resigned on March 28, 2023, to run for election to a different seat in the chamber.[4] On June 20, 2023, Clark won the Democratic primary for the new 84th district.[5] He won the election with 53% of the vote to his Republican opponent’s 47% Michael Dillender in Virginia’s 84th House of Delegates district.
Early life
Nadarius Clark attended Virginia Union University for college, in Richmond.[6]
Political career
He worked as a campaign organizer for Tim Kaine from when he was governor. Clark became the youngest ever representative at 26 years old, the minimum age to be a representative is 21 years old.[6]
At the start of the 2024-2025 session, Clark introduced a bill that would prohibit the collection of medical debt if collection proceedings didn’t start within 3 years of the due date on the final notice.[7]
In February 2024, Clark introduced a bill to cap rising rents which ultimately didn’t advance.[8]
Electoral history
2021 elections
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nadarius Clark | 2,033 | 45.73 | |
| Democratic | Steve Heretick (incumbent) | 1,883 | 42.35 | |
| Democratic | Dante Walston | 530 | 11.92 | |
| Total votes | 4,446 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nadarius Clark | 10,647 | 56.1 | |
| Republican | Lawrence Mason | 8,283 | 43.6 | |
| Write-in | 63 | 0.3 | ||
| Total votes | 18,993 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic hold | ||||
2023 election
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Nadarius Clark | 15,899 | 52.99 | |
| Republican | Michael Dillender | 14,046 | 46.82 | |
| Write-in | 58 | 0.19 | ||
| Total votes | 30,003 | 100 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
References
- ^ Littlehales, Alex (June 9, 2021). “Meet Nadarius Clark: the 26-year-old vying for Virginia’s House of Delegates”. 13 News Now. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
- ^ Virginia General Assembly: Nadarius Clark
- ^ Virginia Scope: Nadarius Clark, 3 October 2021 (audio)
- ^ Staff Reports (March 28, 2023). “Clark resigns House seat, completes move to Suffolk”. The Smithfield Times. Retrieved 7 April 2023.
- ^ Janney, Josh (June 20, 2023). “Nadarius Clark and Michael Dillender win their primaries in House District 84”. The Virginian Piolot. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
- ^ a b Service, Thailon Wilson | Capital News (2024-04-03). “Virginia’s General Assembly is trending younger. At 28, Del. Clark strives to get young voters involved”. The Virginian-Pilot. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ McIntyre, Meghan (2024-01-26). “Three interesting bills: medical debt, mobile home park tenant rights and state data breaches • Virginia Mercury”. Virginia Mercury. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ Service, Capital News (2024-02-12). “Virginia bills to cap rent increases don’t advance this session • Virginia Mercury”. Virginia Mercury. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ “2021 June Democratic Primary”. Virginia Department of Elections. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 10, 2021.
- ^ “2021 November General”. 2021-11-03. Archived from the original on 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
- ^ “Member, House of Delegates (84th District)”. Election results. elections.virginia.gov. Retrieved 2 April 2024.
