The ever-increaing ranks of candidates for Memphis Mayor continue to grow. The latest addition to the list of declared hopefuls is City Councilman Frank Colvett, who made his intentions known through a Thursday morning press release.
In the announcement, the Republican said, “Memphis faces serious challenges, and we need a Mayor who is ready to face those challenges. I was born in Memphis, ran a small business in Memphis and have served on the Memphis City Council. I will use my experience in both government service and the real world to confront the challenges that face us.
“Crime is too high, and we need leaders with actual solutions. We need more good cops on the street, but also we need to work with groups like the Boys and Girls Club to intervene with our at-risk kids before they turn to crime.”
The announcement notes that Colvett was elected to the City Council in November, 2015, and was re-elected in 2019. He was the 2021 Chairman of the Memphis City Council after serving as Vice-Chair in 2020. Colvett is a 1988 graduate of Memphis University School and earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and minor in history in 1992 from Millsaps College where he graduated with honors distinction. He has served on local development boards for several years and is an affiliate agent with Remax Experts.
He and his wife, Lesley Harris, have a son, Frank III, and a daughter, Ella Louise.
Though there was previous speculation about a possible race by lawyer and former Councilman John Bobango, Colvett’s entry makes him the first white Republican to join a lengthy list of Black Democrats in the mayoral race.
