It’s been about 12 years since Patrick Clark made his first run for magistrate and he now is ready to give it another go.
The Elizabethtown resident has declared his intent to run for the District 7 seat of Hardin County Fiscal Court in the upcoming May 2022 primary election.
“I just felt like it was a good time for me in my life,” he said of his return to the political arena. “I’m well-positioned at work. I always enjoy a new challenge and want to be a good partner for Hardin County and see Hardin County grow in the right direction.”
In his run about 12 years ago for the same seat, Clark, 57, lost in three-way primary. Ronnie Goodman currently serves the 7th District.
“I was a complete novice at that point,” he said. “I was in it to win, but I didn’t have a clue how to do it and I’m still not sure I know how to do it, but I have a whole lot better idea now.”
Clark, a Republican, said with the recent selling of Hardin Memorial Hospital to Baptist Health, the county has more capital and he wants a role in seeing it spent or saved wisely.
“I just knew there were changes coming and I wanted to make sure our government is run efficiently,” he said. “But we still have to be forward thinking. We need to be very mindful with our money.”
Clark has volunteered with the Elizabethtown Tourism and Convention Bureau for the past decade. He said his experience on the board of directors for the bureau and his time as chairman helped position Elizabethtown well fiscally.
At the commission, Clark said he helped manage its multi-million dollar budget and was part of the decision to have a third party run the Elizabethtown Sports Park.
“If you talk to the different directors we’ve had, they would all say we worked well together and have managed the money efficiently,” he said. “We’ve done some things that have saved the city of Elizabethtown millions of dollars.”
As vice president of Clark Jewelers, which he runs with his brothers, Clark said his decades of experience with the company and the bureau can help make strong financial decisions for the county.
“We need to have foresight,” he said. “We need to have people who are business-minded and who are willing to work and figure out where we need to go and which direction we need to go for our county.”
Part of that will be making the right decisions for the county to help keep more residents here long term, Clark said.
“We have an opportunity to keep a few more of our kids here in Hardin County,” he said. “We have good people here, let’s keep them here. Let’s grow our jobs, let’s grow our community so they can stay here and not have to leave.”
Clark and his wife have farmed 32 acres outside Elizabethtown city limits for about 30 years. The couple has three adult children.
“It would be an honor to serve people of Hardin County,” he said. “I’m willing and I have the time to do it. I’m all in for this. I’ve got Hardin County in my heart this time.”
Gina Clear can be reached at 270-505-1418 or gclear@thenewsenterprise.com.
