Adline Clarke represents the 97th legislative district in the Alabama House of Representatives. She was first elected on May 21, 2013 to fill an unexpired term. She was elected to four-year terms in 2014 and 2018. She is a Democratic Party Whip in the House and chairs the Policy Committee of the House Democratic Caucus. She was named a “Legislator of the Year” by the Caucus in 2017. In November 2019, she was named one of 30 “Women Who Shape Alabama” by Birmingham Magazine. She was chosen for introducing the legislation and working diligently to get Alabama’s Equal Pay Act passed by the Alabama Legislature. 

In 2019, Rep. Clarke also introduced a “mandatory reporting” bill that requires medical professionals who knowingly treat victims of gunshot wounds to report the injuries to law enforcement officials to help curtail violence.

Rep. Clarke has worked as a newspaper journalist, public administrator and entrepreneur. She formerly owned and operated an African-American bookstore and a staffing service.

She studied journalism at Spring Hill College and worked for the Mobile Press-Register as a reporter and editor for 15 years before resigning as City Editor to start a business.

Rep. Clarke is a life-long member of St. James Major Catholic Church. In 2018, she received the Cornelius Sexton, S.S.J. Humanitarian Award from the Mobile Area Inter-Parish Council of the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile. In 2018, she also received the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama’s Women & Youth Award. She was honored by the alumni chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority in 2001, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity in 2005, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity in 2016 and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority in 2018 for community service.