Van Turner, retiring Shelby County Commissioner and local NAACP head, has confirmed that he intends to run for Mayor of Memphis next year and will likely make a formal announcement to that effect on or about September 1, the date he is scheduled to depart from the Commission after serving two terms, including a stint as chairman.
Turner’s name has figured in speculation about such a race for well over a year. Others whose names have received frequent mentions are Paul Young, president of the Downtown Memphis Commission, and Karen Camper, minority leader of the state House of Representatives.
There has been speculation as well that City Councilman Worth Morgan, who ran for Shelby County Mayor this year, could be a candidate for Memphis Mayor, as could JB Smiley, a candidate this year for Governor in the Democratic primary.
