Gerrymandering, abortion and the cost of living are on the minds of many in Missouri and St. Louis County. Olivette Mayor and State House candidate Sidney Clark wants people to know he recognizes their concerns.
“The state of Missouri and the country in general is losing its grip on democracy,” Clark said.
Clark’s original motivation for politics mirrors his current platform: throughout his political career, he has aimed to ensure that people’s voices are heard and understood.
“When I originally got into politics, I was the trustee of my street, and there was word going around that the neighborhood was going to be blighted for a big development, [so my neighbors] urged me to run for a seat,” Clark said. “I had no political experience, but I went ahead and did it anyway, and I beat my opponent seven votes to one.”
Clark was eventually elected mayor of Olivette, and aimed to keep his community in pace with the neighboring cities by building a community center.
“I’ve lived in this neighborhood since 1973 and I thought it was due time for us to have [a community center], so I started pushing for one, and fortunately, [the] council was on the same page that I was and we got [an] $11 million community center,” Clark said, “That’s one of the things that I’m very proud of, and I’m glad that I ran, because I was able to get that done.”
However, a community center for Olivette isn’t the end of Clark’s goals, as he wants to bring a people-centric mindset statewide.
“I think a lot of people don’t feel like they’re being heard. I knocked on every door in every neighborhood to make sure that [he could get everyone’s opinions],” Clark said. “We [need to] have leadership that embraces everybody’s point of view and not say, ‘my way or the highway’ because the moment you’ve [been] alienated or you’ve alienated somebody’s point of view, then they’ll never listen to you.”
Communication is just one of Clark’s priorities, as he seeks to push back against the gerrymandering of Missouri’s federal congressional districts enacted late last year.
“Look at the gerrymandering that’s going on in the state of Missouri. We [have] to quell the fires. If somebody doesn’t do anything about it, it’s only going to get worse,” Clark said.
To Clark, the state government is not just failing to be fair and democratic, but also putting partisan disagreements before solving the problems many Missouri residents face daily.
“If you can’t pay your bills or you can’t afford gas, that’s not a blue issue or red issue,” Clark said. “That’s [an] everybody issue. We have to look at things [in] a natural way, not a political way.”
Even so, Clark recognizes that all of these issues require massive mobilization statewide and change.
“If you stick your head in the sand, nothing will change. Change is often uncomfortable, but it is required,” Clark said.
