Former state Representative and City Council member Carol Chumney indicated late this morning that she was on her way to the Election Commission to file for the office of District Attorney General.
Chumney, one of three Democrats who had previously pulled petitions from the Election Commission, thus becomes the first Democrat to commit herself and the first known challenger to incumbent Republican Amy Weirich, who had previously filed.
A graduate of the University of Memphis Law School who has maintained a private practice in recent years, Chumney first won election to the state House from District 89 (Midtown) in 1990 and was reelected six times.
She was elected to the Council in 2003 and was a candidate for Memphis Mayor in 2007, finishing second to then incumbent Mayor Willie Herenton in a three-way race. Chumney had run for Shelby County mayor in 2002 and made another race for Memphis Mayor in 2009, losing to A C Wharton on both occasions.
Chumney is the former president of the Memphis Federal Bar Association, served as an appointee to two Tennessee Supreme Court commissions, and was an officer of the House Judiciary and Children & Family Affairs Committees.
In a press release, Chumney issued this statement about her purpose in running:
“At the local courthouse, the lady holding the scales of justice, is a symbol that in our country noone is above the law. I vow to protect our community from those who prey on the vulnerable, such as senior citizens who are scammed by con artists, children and youth from sexual predators, families from domestic abuse, workers who are not paid equally for their work, and the trusting public that suffer abuses from even the most prominent professionals in our community—lawyers, doctors, and bankers . When I take office as D.A. noone will be above the law anymore.”
Two other Democrats, Glen Wright and Linda Nettles Harris, had drawn petitions for District Attorney General but have not yet filed.
Deadline for filing for next year’s county offices is 12 noon on Thursday.
