Nathan Clay
Nathan Clay (Democratic Party) ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Colorado's 7th Congressional District. He did not appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on June 30, 2020.
Clay completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.
Clay was a 2018 independent candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 7th Congressional District of Colorado.[1] Clay did not appear on the official general election candidate list.[2]
Clay was a 2016 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 7th Congressional District of Missouri.[3] Clay was defeated by incumbent Billy Long in the Republican primary.[4]
Elections
2020
See also: Colorado's 7th Congressional District election, 2020
Colorado's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Democratic primary)
Colorado's 7th Congressional District election, 2020 (June 30 Republican primary)
General election
General election for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Incumbent Ed Perlmutter defeated Casper Stockham, Ken Biles, David Olszta, and Steve Zorn in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on November 3, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Ed Perlmutter (D) | 59.1 | 250,525 |
 | Casper Stockham (R) | 37.6 | 159,301 | |
 | Ken Biles (L)  | 2.7 | 11,510 | |
 | David Olszta (Unity Party) | 0.6 | 2,355 | |
 | Steve Zorn (D) (Write-in) | 0.0 | 0 | |
| Total votes: 423,691 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Anthony Malgieri (Independent)
- James Treibert (Independent)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Incumbent Ed Perlmutter advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ed Perlmutter | 100.0 | 125,880 |
| Total votes: 125,880 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Nathan Clay (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Casper Stockham advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on June 30, 2020.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Casper Stockham | 100.0 | 52,488 |
| Total votes: 52,488 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Libertarian convention
Libertarian convention for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Ken Biles advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on April 13, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Ken Biles (L) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Unity Party convention
Unity Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 7
David Olszta advanced from the Unity Party convention for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on April 4, 2020.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | David Olszta (Unity Party) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2018
General election
General election for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Incumbent Ed Perlmutter defeated Mark Barrington and Jennifer Nackerud in the general election for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ed Perlmutter (D) | 60.4 | 204,260 |
 | Mark Barrington (R) | 35.4 | 119,734 | |
| Jennifer Nackerud (L) | 4.1 | 14,012 | ||
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 61 | ||
| Total votes: 338,067 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Nathan Clay (Independent)
- Marcus France (Unaffiliated)
Democratic primary election
Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Incumbent Ed Perlmutter advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Ed Perlmutter | 100.0 | 81,991 |
| Total votes: 81,991 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Republican primary election
Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7
Mark Barrington advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Colorado District 7 on June 26, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Mark Barrington | 100.0 | 46,028 |
| Total votes: 46,028 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
2016
Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Billy Long (R) defeated Genevieve Williams (D) and Benjamin Brixey (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Long defeated Nathan Clay, Christopher Batsche, Matthew Evans, Lyndle Spencer, Matthew Canovi, James Nelson, and Mary Byrne in the Republican primary, while Williams defeated Camille Lombardi-Olive, and Steven Reed to win the Democratic nomination. The primary elections took place on August 2, 2016. Long won re-election in the November 8 election.[5][4][6]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Billy Long Incumbent |
67.5% | 228,692 | |
| Democratic | Genevieve Williams | 27.4% | 92,756 | |
| Libertarian | Benjamin Brixey | 5.1% | 17,153 | |
| N/A | Write-in | 0% | 6 | |
| Total Votes | 338,607 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State | ||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Genevieve Williams |
52.1% | 9,402 | ||
| Steven Reed | 27.3% | 4,915 | ||
| Camille Lombardi-Olive | 20.6% | 3,714 | ||
| Total Votes | 18,031 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Billy Long Incumbent |
62.4% | 67,012 | ||
| Mary Byrne | 13.1% | 14,069 | ||
| Matthew Canovi | 8.9% | 9,538 | ||
| Matthew Evans | 5% | 5,346 | ||
| Christopher Batsche | 4.5% | 4,860 | ||
| Lyndle Spencer | 3.3% | 3,537 | ||
| James Nelson | 1.9% | 2,037 | ||
| Nathan Clay | 1% | 1,042 | ||
| Total Votes | 107,441 | |||
| Source: Missouri Secretary of State |
||||
Campaign themes
2020
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Nathan Clay completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Clay's responses.
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
1.) A campaign finance reform amendment to the US Constitution that would overturn Citizens United and get corporate and special interest money out of our political system. 2.) A universal, single-payer, Medicare For All healthcare system that would guarantee that every American gets the healthcare services and medications that they need. 3.) Create a more fair economy by requiring that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Get rid of the tax laws that have been written by corporate lobbyists for decades and replace them with a tax system that imposes taxes on extremely large estates, extremely high incomes, and extremely profitable corporations.
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?
I'm passionate about a wide range of public policies. Campaign finance reform, universal healthcare, college tuition/student loan debt, environmental protections and green energy investment, strengthening social security, comprehensive immigration reform, common sense gun control regulations, expansion of family leave and child care investments, ending our imperialistic foreign policies, expanding civil liberties, reforming the broken criminal justice system, ending the war on drugs, publicly funding elections, reforming ALL of our unfair trade deals, and making big investments in our nation's infrastructure. We need to do all of these things and more, and I'm a passionate advocate for all of these policies.
Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?
Bernie Sanders inspired me to directly get involved in the political process with his 2016 primary campaign. It was the first time I was exposed to a politician who not only shared my goals and values, but had consistently been fighting for those values since before I was even born. That was a huge inspiration to me and I'm sure millions of other Americans who just want to live in a society that works for ALL of us. Right now, by biggest political influence is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I admire her so much because, in many ways, she was one of the few young progressives that blazed the trail that my campaign is trying to follow. She combined passion, intellect, and dedication with powerful modern technologies and pulled off a victory with one of the greatest recent insurgent progressive campaigns.
Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?
It's tough to say "this book explains my political philosophy perfectly" but I'd say that most anything by Noam Chomsky or Howard Zinn will give you a pretty good idea of what my political influences and inspirations are.
What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?
To me, being a good politician is about adhering to a pretty simple concept: fight for the people. Don't take money from wealthy donors with a quid pro quo that you'll vote for legislation that favors them. When there's a vote on healthcare legislation, you should vote for the solutions that value people's lives over corporate profits. When you vote on foreign policy, you should vote for solutions that favor diplomatic resolutions instead of sending people to war. When you vote on education policy you should consider what putting entire generations in lifelong debt will do to those people and the economy, not what it will do to a banker's balance sheet. Politics shouldn't be a popularity contest where the people with the most perfect lives and backgrounds always win. It should be about who is going to fight the hardest for the American People.
What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?
I have an absolute, undying passion for progressive policies. I'm ambitious, dedicated, and committed to fighting for policies that would create a society that works for ALL of us. Also, I'm not saying I'm a genius, but I've seen a lot of what many members of Congress (and the President) have to say, and these people are NOT intellectual juggernauts. I think our country could benefit from electing some people who sincerely value intellectual problem solving and not... whatever it is we see on FOX and CNN every single day.
What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?
The core responsibility of any member of Congress is to be absolutely committed to the kinds of policies that are going to build a sustainable, equitable, and fair society for everyone involved. That means understanding complicated economic and social concepts that impact everything from the air we breathe, the healthcare we receive, the education available to us, the jobs and wages we get, how we regulate certain objects and substances, and the way we treat people who break the law. This is a big responsibility that requires a lot of time, dedication, research, and intelligence. The only way you can do this job without these skills is if you just let a bunch of lobbyists write your opinion for you, which is exactly what's happening right now in many congressional offices.
What legacy would you like to leave?
I'm not very concerned about "leaving a legacy" but if I could accomplish only one thing with my political ambitious it have to be being an integral part of the movement that created a campaign finance reform amendment to the US Constitution, overturned Citizens United, and brought some sanity and reason back to our campaign finance system. I would be forever proud to have been a part of that process.
What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?
Well, the first MAJOR event that I can remember happening in my lifetime was 9/11. I was thirteen years old at the time and the response from the Bush administration was what first inspired me to really learn about what was going on in the world. I started participating in demonstrations against the wars and in support of gay marriage, reproductive rights, and civil liberties in general. This period in my life heavily influenced the political opinions I have as an adult.
What was your very first job? How long did you have it?
My first job was managing and maintaining a public computer lab for a local college. I've always been pretty nerdy and tech savvy, so I thought it'd be a good opportunity to make money doing something I was good at. I left after about a year to start a small computer repair and web design business serving my super tiny rural town in Missouri.
What happened on your most awkward date?
We talked about politics. She was a George Bush supporter, thought the wars were justified, and believed "marriage should only be between a man and a woman." It was the shortest date I've ever had.
What is your favorite holiday? Why?
I'll be boring here and say my favorite holiday is Christmas. It's the only time of year that my entire family gets together and catches up. Social media makes it easier to keep in touch, but it's nice spending quality time with the people you care about.
What is your favorite book? Why?
Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky because it's the first book that I ever read by who would soon become my favorite author.
If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?
That's a funny question, so I'll give a funny answer. Leave it to a 90's kid to say Neo from the first two and a half Matrix movies (that last one got kinda weird). I mean, stopping bullets and flying is pretty cool and all, but his real superpower is that he lives with the knowledge that his reality is a construct and then he gets to use it as his playground for leet hax. Gotta admit, that'd be a pretty enjoyable existence.
What is your favorite thing in your home or apartment? Why?
My favorite thing in my apartment is the tiny home studio that I built for making Facebook and YouTube videos because it represents my connection to my supporters, fans, voters, and community.
What was the last song that got stuck in your head?
Big Black Dog by Bad Religion: "One man's grace is another man's bullet Bullshit beams from the bully pulpit No regrets for the bounty they've taken The pigs must feed on their ration of bacon" It's a groovy political punk rock jam. Got stuck in my head because it's one of the catchier songs from their new album "Age of Unreason"
What is something that has been a struggle in your life?
My struggle has been seeing my entire generation fleeced, ignored, and cast aside by corporate America and many members of the generations before us. Most of my generation has high levels of debt, dwindling job prospects, stagnant wages, and can't afford healthcare services. The economic and social systems in place are destroy the planet and its ecosystems at an alarming rate. There's a mountain of potentially devastating problems that we face as a species and society, and from the perspective of the members of my generation, it just seems like nobody cares.
What process do you favor for redistricting?
We need to eliminate gerrymandering by having districts drawn by independent bodies that do not have a political affiliation or motive.
What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?
It was designed to be a highly democratic legislative body that is fiercely impacted by changes in the sentiment and opinion of voters. In institutions like the Senate, each state gets equal representation (which is less democratic) and members serve 6-year terms (meaning they're not incredibly responsive to shifting voter sentiment.) With more populous states getting more representation in the House and with all members being up for election every 2 years, the House functions as a more fluid indicator of what the American voter actually wants.
Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?
It can absolutely be beneficial, yes. Previous political/government experience makes voters more confident that you're actually capable of drafting, introducing, and passing legislation. However, some forms of political experience can be extremely detrimental. If you're a politician used to "the way things are" when it comes to corporations shoveling money at your campaign in return for big favors, then your political experience is less than worthless.
What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?
The greatest challenge that the United States will face over the next decade is releasing the stranglehold that corporations have over our political system. This is the core issue that impacts so many other things going on in our country and the world. If we don't do this, we're not going to make much progress on any of the other incredibly serious challenges that we face.
If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?
The US House Science, Space, and Technology Committee looks intriguing.
Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?
I think it's a fair balance. The purpose of such a short term length is to make it so that representatives are more responsive to the demands of their constituents. The unfortunate aspect of this is that representatives are required to start campaigning for their next election essentially immediately as they get into office. That's a bit distracting and can really detract from the work being done on important legislation.
What are your thoughts on term limits?
That's a complicated one. I would support term limits simply for the reason that it would shuffle a lot of the trash out of DC. However, I don't think term limits are the solution to the problem. People need to get more involved in politics. They need to support candidates that share their goals and values and they need to quit electing incumbents just because they've heard their name more times and they appear at the top of the ballot. Unless this happens, term limits won't matter much because elected officials will just be replaced by another political hack taking millions of dollars from corporate donors.
If you are not currently a member of your party’s leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives, would you be interested in joining the leadership? If so, in what role?
I don't have much of an interest in joining the Democratic Party's leadership on almost anything. I'd like to pass major reforms that make it easier for Independent and third-party candidates to win elections. I don't want to assist the Democratic Party in dominating all forms of left-leaning political activity in the United States.
Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?
Well, I'd have to say Bernie Sanders. While he isn't perfect and I don't absolutely agree with him on everything, I've dug deep into his political history and I generally like what I see. He has been passionately fighting on the right side of history since before I was born and he was the first politician I was exposed to that actually shared all of my goals and values.
Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?
I've heard stories about how folks are being driven into bankruptcy because they can't afford the medication they need for a loved one. I've heard stories about how people became homeless just weeks after being unexpectedly laid off. And I've heard countless stories from young people who want to start families or buy a home but they feel like they'll never be able to accomplish it because of their student loan debts. I don't want to isolate a particular story, because the struggling isn't isolated. It's everybody.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
I am a true progressive with an absolute commitment to driving corporate influence out of our political process/institutions and building a society that actually works for ALL of the American People. I support a wide variety of ambitious progressive policy reforms, but my primary goal as an elected official will be to generate and foster support for a movement – here in Colorado and throughout the nation – for a campaign finance reform amendment to the US Constitution that would overturn Citizen’s United and allow us to put into place absolutely critical regulations on the campaign finance system. This is so incredibly important to me because I believe that it’s going to be nearly impossible to create the kind of healthcare system, economic system, criminal justice system, education system, immigration system, and environmental protection system that we want to build without first loosening the grip that corporations have on our political process. I will be an enthusiastic and outspoken supporter of big progressive policies that will significantly improve the lives of millions of Americans. Policies like Medicare For All, tuition-free public colleges and universities, universal child care, guaranteed paid family and medical leave, raising the minimum wage, strengthening social security, and The Green New Deal. And I will stand against wars, violence, bigotry, sexism, xenophobia, and racism – including the institutionalized racism that has plagued America since its inception. This disgusting and ignorant ideology has recently been on full display – especially in our criminal justice and immigration systems – which is why it’s so incredibly important for the millions of Americans, and other people throughout the world, who are being hurt and oppressed by our government that we fight back and elect representatives that actually care about what people want and need, not about what corporations have paid them to care about. I believe we need a representative that’s going to take a more aggressive stand against corporations and the corrupt political parties. I believe we need a representative that will fight harder for a nationwide movement to amend the Constitution and overturn Citizen’s United. I believe we need a representative that will passionately support ambitious ideas like Medicare For All, tuition-free colleges and universities, universal child care, and guaranteed paid family and medical leave. So, I decided to run for US House in Colorado’s 7th district because I know without a doubt that I will be a representative that does just that.[7] |
” |
| —Nathan Clay[8] | ||
2016
The following issues were listed on Clay's campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.
| “ |
I support a National Health Insurance Program focused on significantly reducing the annual cost of healthcare and insurance for the American people, especially middle class & low-income families. I do not believe that being fiscally conservative means we do not spend money on the services our country needs – it means providing those services as efficiently and intelligently as possible.
It’s no secret that we live in a fiercely competitive global economy. If our country intends to survive economically, we need to have the most educated workforce in the world. Publicly funding our public universities will prepare our society for the dynamic job market of the future – while unleashing the economic power and freedom of America’s youth by eliminating the debt burden associated with going to school.
When elected, my goal will be to create a stable and long-lasting economy for the American people. An economy that fosters entrepreneurs and small businesses, increases wages and produces economic opportunities for working class families, restores economic power and freedom to America’s youth, and guarantees that America is the best place in the world to do business.
Our existing campaign finance system is not designed to facilitate democracy. It is designed to allow elections to be bought by wealthy campaign contributors. We will not make progress on healthcare, economics, foreign policy, climate change, and so many other important issues until we can remove the influence of special interests from our political system.
We can no longer afford to view cannabis regulation as a joke. Lives are being destroyed every day, not by people using cannabis, but by the laws regulating it. Legalization of cannabis will decrease spending on incarceration, cut off a major revenue source of drug cartels, give people the civil rights to do what they want to do in their free time as long as it does not harm other people, and it would provide a major economic boost by bringing a multibillion dollar industry out of the shadows.[7] |
” |
| —Nathan Clay's campaign website, http://nathanclayforcongress.com/blog/ | ||
See also
2020 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Nathan Clay for Congress, "Home," accessed April 6, 2017
- ↑ ‘’Colorado Secretary of State’’, “2018 General Election Candidate List,” accessed September 17, 2018
- ↑ Nathan Clay for Congress, accessed March 28, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Politico, "Missouri House Primaries Results," August 2, 2016
- ↑ Missouri Secretary of State, "UNOFFICIAL Candidate Filing List," accessed March 30, 2016
- ↑ CNN, "Missouri House 07 Results," November 8, 2016
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on May 10, 2019
