Assuming he runs again in the fall, longtime incumbent Democrat Steve McGraw will have at least one challenger for the position of Roanoke County Clerk of Court.
Tom Roe made his announcement in Salem on January 5, supported by Republican heavyweights like Congressmen Bob Goodlatte and Morgan Griffith. House Delegate Greg Habeeb and State Senator Ralph Smith, along with Catawba District Supervisor Butch Church and County Treasurer Kevin Hutchins, were also on hand to support Roe’s candidacy in front of the Roanoke County Court House.
Roe said his campaign “will focus on his experience, accessibility and the opportunities for improvements to benefit the residents of Roanoke County.”
Roe is an attorney with Spigle, Roe, Massey & Clay and has been practicing law in the Roanoke Valley for 30 years. He was admitted to the Virginia and U.S. Supreme Court in 1986 and the U.S. District Court, Western District of Virginia in 1993. He was also assistant commonwealth attorney in the city of Roanoke from 1987-89. Roe is a member of the Virginia State Bar Association, the Roanoke City Bar Association, the Roanoke County/Salem Bar Association, member and past president of the Botetourt County Bar Association.
In addition, Roe has been actively involved in the local community in a variety of board positions. That work includes being part of the Miss Virginia scholarship pageant and the “First Fridays” events in Roanoke, where proceeds are donated to various designated charities.
“It’s my belief for the Clerk of Court that it’s important to be accessible and visible,” said Roe. “By being visible and accessible to all of the citizens, that is basically what contributes to being a successful Clerk of the Court.” Roe seems to be inferring that McGraw perhaps has been too much behind the scenes as he does his job. In the past McGraw has campaigned on changes he has made to keep the office up to date with the latest technologies.
What does a Clerk of the Court do anyway? Roe laid that out in announcing his bid: those responsibilities include recording deeds and other real estate related documents; issuing marriage licenses; processing divorces and name changes; handling criminal, probate, and estate matters and maintaining court records and other records as provided by law. The office is in the same building that houses county courtrooms.
Roe is familiar with that environment, as he points out. He also believes that his legal background can make a difference: “Having been a practicing attorney for 30 years gives me an advantage to help the citizens of Roanoke County, to answer their questions or guide them in whatever direction will assist them in getting answers to their issues.”
The Clerk of Circuit Court is one of five constitutional officers of Roanoke County elected by its voters to serve an eight-year term as the circuit court’s chief administrator.
“I will be visible both in the office and in the community,” vows Roe, who will seek the GOP nomination to run for the office. He knows of no other candidates at this time and isn’t sure how the party would nominate him – mostly likely at some sort of mass meeting if no one else steps up to challenge him.
By Gene Marrano
