ran for the Democratic nomination for a seat in the Indiana Senate from the 3rd district in 1972. He won in the primary against seven other candidates and defeated Republican nominee Fredrick Wood. He was the first black person to represent Lake County, Indiana in the state senate. Clay ran for reelection to the state senate in the 1976 election, but was defeated in the Democratic primary by Representative Katie Hall. Clay was one of four incumbent Democratic members of the state senate to lose renomination. Clay filed lawsuit for a recount, but the recount maintained Hall's victory. Hall won in the general election without opposition. Tenure During his tenure Clay was the ranking minority member of the Public Health committee. He also served on the Affairs of Lake County, Legislative Apportionment, and Natural Resources, Ecology and Agriculture committees. Clay and Representatives Jewell Harris and Robert Freeland, who were all black, boycotted a dinner at The Columbia Club that they were invited to as the club refused membership to black people. The Indiana NAACP gave support to the boycott. During a riot in 1973, at the Indiana State Prison, where prisoners took control of three cellblocks and held three officers hostage, Clay offered to work as an intermediary in the negotiations. One of the officers was let go after the prisoners talked to Clay and the riot ended after thirty-five hours. The prisoners met a delegation consisting of reporters, Clay, and Representative Robert DuComb. Local politics In 1978, Clay filed to run for a seat on the Lake County, Indiana council from the 4th district. He defeated incumbent Councilor Frank Perry in the Democratic primary and won in the general election without opposition. He won reelection against Republican nominee Joseph Stojakovich in the 1982 election. During his tenure on the council Clay served as president. On January 6, 1984, Clay announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for Lake County Recorder to succeed William Bielski Jr., who was term-limited. He won the Democratic nomination against ten other candidates which included Johnny McWilliams, who had the support of Gary Mayor Richard G. Hatcher, Leonard Bielski, the brother of the incumbent recorder, and Mathias A. Kerger, a former member of the state senate. He defeated Republican nominee Alan L. Banister in the general election. He was the first black person elected countywide in Lake County. He resigned from the county