Graham to seek reelection as Smyth's court clerk

John Graham

While already nominated by his party, John Graham made his intention to seek reelection as Smyth County's Circuit Court Clerk formal yesterday.

"I’m asking the citizens of Smyth County to hire me again, to re-elect me to a job that I love in the community I love," Graham said in a prepared release.

A Marion native, citizens first gave Graham the nod to elected office in a special election in 2010 and then re-elected him in 2015 to a full eight-year term. "Serving our community as clerk has been one of the greatest joys of my life," he said. "As a lawyer and an ordained United Methodist pastor, I feel like my unusual skill-set is uniquely suited for this job."

On the campaign trail, Graham said, one of his "challenges is to describe succinctly what the job entails, as the Code of Virginia mandates over 800 duties for circuit court clerks." In Virginia, the Circuit Court Clerk's Office combines into one elected office duties that in other states are performed by as many as four separate officeholders. In the commonwealth, Graham explained that the clerk acts as the register of deeds, court administrator, archivist for historic county records, and probate judge who determines the validity of wills and establishes estates. In addition, the clerk empanels juries, administers oaths, and issues marriage licenses, concealed handgun permits, and notary commissions. The work of a clerk touches every area of the law, he said.

As a lawyer, Graham brings 24 years of experience and legal knowledge to the office, which, he said, "is valuable in every area of the office but especially so when helping families who have suffered the death of a loved one, probating their will and setting up an estate. "It's when helping a grieving family that I feel best suited for this job," he said, "because folks are often overwhelmed when a death occurs. I’m able to guide them with legal expertise but also with a pastor's sense of empathy and understanding."

During his tenure as clerk, Graham has issued more than 10,000 concealed handgun permits, which are now printed on hard plastic cards for greater durability. Citizens, he said, will soon be able to apply online.

In this increasingly digital business environment, Graham said he has also embraced available technology. Deeds and other land records are routinely e-recorded now, and all civil and criminal case files are now "file-less" and maintained in a digital format. His court, Graham said, was only the fifth in the state to offer the Officer of the Court Remote Access, or OCRA, which allows lawyers and other court officials to access the electronic case files remotely through the Supreme Court of Virginia website.

An ongoing initiative of the office, Graham said, "is to convert as many of the court's paper documents as possible into digital format, making them more accessible and better preserving them for the future. As a result of this priority, all of Smyth County's deeds, surveys/plats, and marriage licenses, the oldest of which date back to the county's founding in 1832, are now preserved and accessible digitally."

Charged to preserve some of the county's earliest records, Graham has obtained grants of more than $278,000 from the Library of Virginia to restore several historic books and collections of critical documents.

Graham also pointed out that he has sought out professional development through the National Center for State Courts and the Virginia Court Clerks’ Association, and he is both a Certified Court Manager and a Master Circuit Court Clerk. As well, he said he has encouraged all of his full-time staff members to seek professional recognition and all eligible deputies are certified as Master Deputy Clerks. "For a while," he said, his "office was one of only two in the state that could boast that the clerk and all full-time staff had achieved ‘Master’ credentials through the career development program."

In his announcement, Graham also noted that he has long worked as an advocate for Smyth County, helping "lead efforts that are making an impact in our community." Twenty years ago, he worked with other pastors in Chilhowie to start Loaves & Fishes Food Pantry. Ten years ago, as part of the Smyth County Community Foundation, Graham helped develop the milestones that guided the capstone gift of $5.6 million to Emory & Henry College to start the School of Health Sciences. As the foundation's chair in 2019, he helped lead the effort to establish the Saltville Wellness Center.

"Currently," Graham noted that he "is working with other community leaders to start a residential treatment facility near the state hospital to be called the Appalachian Center for Hope, to bring hope and healing from the devastating effects of drug abuse in our area."

All of these efforts and initiatives, he said, have been rooted in his goals of "providing exceptional customer service and trying to make Smyth County an ever better place to live, visit, work, and raise a family," he said. "If it's good for our community as a whole, I’m likely to be a cheerleader for it."

Graham lives in Marion with his wife, Beth, and they have three daughters: Abby, Anna, and Ava Kate. For more information about Graham's campaign, individuals may visit www.grahamforclerk.com.

Graham, a Democrat, is being challenged by Eric E. "Stingy" Davidson, a Republican.

The race will be decided in the November general election.

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