Clay Middleton, a native Charlestonian and Army combat veteran on Monday kicked off his bid for Mayor of Charleston.
“We are the sum of our experiences. Serving in the military for 23 years, working at the local, state, and federal levels of government, and being a product of Charleston has taught me a lot about the importance of leadership and having a shared vision,” Middleton said. “When I look around my hometown, I see a city in desperate need of that. I see a city facing crisis after crisis and missing out on opportunities – from flooding to traffic to folks not being able to afford to live near their work to delays in basic city services – those crises and missed opportunities stem from one thing: a lack of bold servant leadership in City Hall. We can change that. I'm running to solve problems, create opportunities, and represent a new brick in an old foundation. We cannot afford poor vision to hinder our ability to truly aspire to do greater things for you, your family, and our collective community. ”
Middleton kicked off his bid for mayor at Harold's Cabin, surrounded by family, friends, and supporters.
Middleton was appointed by President Barack Obama to serve as the associate and then acting director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the Corporation for National and Community Service; he also served at the U.S. Department of Energy, and the National Nuclear Security Administration.
In 2017, Clay became the Director of Business Services for the city of Charleston, where he led the Business & Neighborhood Services division. He is currently a Managing Director at Mercury Public Affairs, a global public strategic affairs firm.
Middleton also served as a longtime aide to Congressman Jim Clyburn, the late former senator Fritz Hollings, and former SC Superintendent of Education Inez Tenenbaum. He also worked on the Biden-Harris Transition Team, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Senator Cory Booker.
“I serve, in and out of uniform, because I understand that too much is given, much is required and I want my two sons to see public service in action rather than read about it,” said Middleton.
