About

The DC Statehood Coalition is a coalition of national and local organizations who support statehood for the people of Washington, DC. 

This website is a project of Vision House, a nonprofit organization based in Washington, DC engaged in communication efforts in the public interest.

Elinor Hart is President of Vision House and Project Director for New Columbia Vision.

She can be reached at elinor@newcolumbiavision.org and 202-387-2966

Jerry Clark, Chair, Founder, DC Statehood Coalition (July 6, 1941 - April 9, 2016) 

Jerry N. Clark served as the first chair of the DC Statehood Coalition following its founding in 2012.

Jerry is remembered for his long years of dedicated service to a wide range of organizations and campaigns. In addition to helping to found and chairing the DC Statehood Coalition, Jerry served as a past Chair and Political Director of DC for Democracy, served for 13 years as a board member on the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (4 years as co-chair), and served for many years on the board of the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and the Democratic National Committee's Gay and Lesbian Leadership Council, as well as giving his time to local community and charitable events each year for a wide variety of different groups and causes. Jerry's work in local politics extends back to the beginning of DC Home Rule in the early 1970s as a founder of the Ward 1 Democratic Committee.

Originally from Muncie, Indiana, Jerry N. Clark received his AB from Princeton University, a JD from the University of Chicago and completed his doctoral studies in Political Science at the University of Minnesota. After serving in the Department of Justice, Jerry spent much of his career as the Executive Director of the United Mineworkers Pension and Trust Funds.

We will always be thankful for Jerry's role in leading our efforts at the beginning of a new era for statehood in the District.