Dennis Clark says he is running for the District 28 House seat coming open with the retirement of JoAnne Favors.
In his campaign announcement, Clark thanked Favors for her "dedicated years of service to the people of this community.
Dennis Clark is a Democratic candidate for the Tennessee House District 28 seat."Her legacy of courage and commitment is inspiring and as our next state representative, I will persevere forward in building upon that legacy," he said.
Clark said he is running to address "real challenges" facing the black and other communities who aren't sharing in Chattanooga's strong economy, booming entrepreneurial and sectors and great quality of life.
"Unfortunately, there is the tale of two cities, where the quality of life for under-resourced communities of color in Chattanooga's 28th Legislative District has gotten worse, and I believe WE DESERVE BETTER!" he said in the release.
He said his campaign will focus on education reform; economic and opportunity development; expanding health care access; and senior and veteran care.
An Avondale native and Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences graduate, Clark said he studied political science at Middle Tennessee State University. He was a legislative aide to former Georgia state Rep. Alisha Thomas Cromartie of Cobb County, and became the first black administrator at Tennessee Temple University as the director of public relations and community initiatives. He later later recruited math and science teachers for the Public Education Foundation and was director of marketing and development at Hope for the Inner City.
He is chief executive officer of DMC Management, an entertainment management and brand strategy firm; and DMC Financial, a financial services group that specializes in business development, tax consultancy and insurance sales.
Clark said he also is passionate about building communities and advocating for social justice. He has served on the YMCA Youth Leadership and Chattanooga CARES boards. In 2007, Gov. Phil Bredesen appointed him to the Tennessee Commission on Children and Youth, where he served three terms.
He is the founder of Impact 28, a program to help people buy homes and aid young men who have gotten in trouble with the law. He also is program manager for Workaholics at Causeway, a platform for professional and entrepreneurial development, and is co-host of "Caregivers and Community Connections" on WMPZ Groove 93.5. He attends Olivet Baptist Church.
"We need a new generation of leaders with fresh ideas and new approaches on how to build a vibrant, more thriving community for our children, our veterans, our seniors and working-class families that struggle to make ends meet," Clark said in his release. " I have a heart committed to the people and the right kind of experiences and relationships that it will take to start working across party lines to bring hope and opportunity back to our communities and to put everyday people back into politics."
Clark is among six candidates for the seat. He faces Jackie Anderson Thomas, Yusuf Hakeem, Melody Shekari and Brandon Woodruff in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary. The winner will face Republican Lemon C. Williams Jr. in the Nov. 6 election.
The qualifying deadline for the primaries is April 5, and the voter registration deadline is July 3. Early voting is July 13-28.