Category: Politics

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Politics Politics Feature

Worthy of Note

From l to r: Memphis mayors Jim Strickland, Dick Hackett, Willie Herenton, and AC Wharton (the latter of whom served also as Shelby County mayor), and county mayors Lee Harris, Jim Rout, and Mark Luttrell (Photo: Courtesy Matt Kuhn)

In what would seem to be a season of passings and rememberings, another name was added to the list on Monday — that of Julian Bolton, who died at the age of 75.

Politically, Bolton, a lawyer, had his last hurrah in 2023, when he finished second to Justin J. Pearson in a special election to succeed the late Barbara Cooper in state House of Representatives District 86.

But his lifetime spanned several periods of local history. He served for decades as a member of the Shelby County Commission and would later serve the commission as its legal consultant and advisor.

A Rhodes College graduate with a major in theater, Bolton was known on the commission for his theatrical style and his tenacity in debate. He earned his law degree from the University of Memphis.

The family announced that flowers can be sent to Serenity Funeral Home on Sycamore View Road, which is handling arrangements.

• Preparations are ongoing for a “celebration of life” in honor of FedEx founder Frederick W. Smith, who died recently at the age of 80 and is considered by many to rank high in any list of the city’s greatest citizens.

The event, which will include speakers and musical performances honoring Smith’s legacy and the enormous role he played in Memphis and the world, will be held on Monday, August 11th, Smith’s 81st birthday, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at FedExForum. 

It will be open to the public, but would-be attendees are asked to RSVP via a brief form that can be accessed online by googling “Fred Smith memorial.”

• There was a massive turnout Saturday at First Evangelical Church on Ridge Lake Boulevard for the funeral of another favorite son, former sheriff and county Mayor Bill Morris, who died last month at the age of 92.

Generically, the mourners crossed all boundaries of age, race, and gender, a tribute to Morris’ wide appeal across the more than 60 years of his public presence.

One indication of his importance and influence is manifested by the picture here of the six mayors of either Memphis or Shelby County who graced the scene.

• The recently formed East Memphis Democratic Club has extended an open invitation to its Summer Picnic and Classroom Supply Drive at the Jones Pond Pavilion in Shelby Farms Park. 

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Memphis Flyer Podcast July 31, 2025: Covering Crime in Memphis

Toby Sells and Chris McCoy discuss this week’s cover story on covering crime in Memphis and discuss the Memphis Flyer’s philosophy of public safety reporting.

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Politics Politics Feature

Morris’ Lost Opportunity

Former Shelby County Mayor William (Bill) N. Morris Jr. (Photo: Morris Family)

As I have indicated, both in print and otherwise, I shared the high regard commanded in his constituency by the late Bill Morris, who died Friday at the age of 92.

In 1994, the Democratic primary race for Tennessee governor featured a spirited contest between Morris, then Shelby County’s mayor, and Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen.

I covered that race and saw it as an intriguing showdown.

It was no secret that a sibling rivalry, then as now, existed between the cities of Memphis and Nashville — between the onetime home base of Boss Ed Crump, whose strong hand had for decades dominated Tennessee politics in general and state Democratic politics in particular, and the centralized state capital, an increasingly upscale (and perhaps to Memphians, upstart) metropolis.

Ironically, Tennessee’s Democratic officials in 1994 — retiring Governor Ned Ray McWherter, House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, and Senate Speaker/Lt. Governor John Wilder — were all West Tennesseans. 

But the Democratic ideological core, party structure, and financial center were all Nashville-based, and Morris, vis-à-vis every one of those particulars, hailed from elsewhere.  

Whatever the reason, the state’s Democratic establishment had clearly convinced itself that the party’s best bet in the 1994 governor’s race (to oppose another Memphian, Republican Congressman Don Sundquist) was not Morris but Nashville Mayor Bredesen.

Not long after the primary race began in earnest, a bombshell hit. Morris was indicted on a state charge of misconduct for having allegedly enlisted county penal farm inmates to serve at a Morris fundraiser. Not to excuse the offense, if indeed it occurred, but that sort of thing was (a) not the most heinous possible transgression and (b) probably not an unaccustomed practice in local (or state) politics. 

In any case, the charges were dropped weeks later, but the Morris campaign, when it resumed, never regained its lost momentum.

Years later, while I was in Nashville during a legislative session, I was approached by a former state official, who shall go nameless here, who began nervously — shakily, even — insisting to me (who had never even written a word about him) that, widespread rumors notwithstanding, he had not been the one who had sicced the TBI (Tennessee Bureau of Investigation) on Morris’ trail. The upshot was that I was convinced he had been — and for strictly political reasons.

During his period of enforced inactivity before he was cleared, I had suggested to Morris, whom I had always liked and admired, that he might consider resuming his race on the theme that his indictment had somehow been engineered expressly to sabotage his gubernatorial campaign. And that he, like any number of other ordinary Tennesseans, was at the mercy of the powers that be. There had indeed been rumors, and something like that was in fact what I (and others) suspected, years before I had the fateful conversation in Nashville.

I didn’t blame Bredesen, who had expressed his belief in Morris’ innocence, though there was no doubt that the aforesaid ex-official with the apparent guilty conscience had been partial to the Nashville mayor’s campaign.

In due course, Bredesen became the nominee but lost the governor’s race to Sundquist, in one of the first indications that the days of Democratic domination of state politics were numbered. 

Eight years later, Bredesen tried again, won, and served two four-year terms. To this day, he is the last Democrat to have won a major statewide office.

Bill Morris had served with recognized distinction for many years both as sheriff and as county mayor, and he continued to be a civic beacon in his retirement. I have often tried to imagine how his, the state’s, and the Democratic Party’s future might have developed had his gubernatorial campaign not been so egregiously derailed. 

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Former County Mayor and Sheriff Bill Morris Dies at 92

Former Shelby County Mayor William (Bill) N. Morris Jr. Credit: Morris Family


Bill Morris, one of Shelby County’s most respected and beloved figures, died Friday at the age of 92. 

Mr. Morris served as Shelby County Sheriff from 1964 to 1970 and as County Mayor from 1978 to 1994. He also made a more than respectable race for governor in 1994.

Both during and after his own political success, he was always available as a source of useful advice and service across all political lines on civic matters of consequence.

Though he could not suspend the rules of human mortality, Mr. Morris’ buoyant good will and his active longevity were  a constant source of inspiration for others, who got used to seeing his ever smiling countenance in the group photos frequently posted by friends and family on Facebook.  

Mr. Morris’ career of public service spanned key moments in local, state, and national history. He was sheriff at the time of the assassination of Martin Luther King and participated in the search for the martyred icon’s killer.

A photo of Sheriff Morris with the bound and captured  James Earl Ray is one of the most often reposted reminders of that historical moment, and Morris’ detailed supervision of Ray’s captivity and trial, in which he took justifiable pride,  were a model of foresight and prudence.

Via his lengthy service as County Mayor, Mr. Morris oversaw the advent and development of home rule in county government, and he made his  office a considerable vehicle for the county’s industrial expansion and recruitment.

His leadership helped shape modern Shelby County in ways ranging from justice reform and economic development to education and infrastructure.

He is remembered not only as a public servant but as a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend to many across Tennessee and beyond.

Mr. Morris’ family provided this additional information:

Born on September 29, 1932, in Fulton, Mississippi, during the depths of the Great Depression, he rose from humble beginnings to become a defining figure in the modern history of Memphis and Shelby County.

Mr. Morris was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 63 years, Ann Norton Morris; his sister, Kathleen Morris Holley; his grandson, Hunter Braden Morris; and his parents, William N. Morris Sr. and Beulah Page Morris.

He is survived by his sister, Gladys Morris Linton of Cordova, brother-in-law, John Norton of Wynne, Arkansas, four devoted children: Jeffery Ward Morris of Memphis; Jane Morris Stephens (Mark) of Memphis; William (Trey) Noel Morris III (Vicki) of Bossier City, Louisiana; and JohnWesley Morris (Denise) of Memphis. He is also survived by 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren, along with many extended family members and dear friends.

His time as county mayor was marked by vision and results. Mr. Morris championed economic development, helped attract major Japanese investment to campaign to relocate International Paper’s headquarters to Memphis, and was instrumental in keeping St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the city. He played key roles in the creation of the National Civil Rights Museum and The Pyramid, and his insistence on a “strong mayor” form of governance helped solidify Shelby County’s executive leadership for generations to come.

Mr. Morris was admired for his ability to connect with people from every walk of life. Whether speaking with laborers or corporate executives, he believed deeply in treating every person with dignity and respect. His empathy was rooted in his own early experiences —working in a curb market at age 10 and logging 66-hour workweeks in high school while also learning the printing trade and American Sign Language to communicate with his deaf coworkers.

After  attending junior college, Mr. Morris enrolled at Memphis State University, where he studied journalism and once interviewed legendary Memphis political boss E.H. “Boss” Crump. That early encounter would be the first of many with figures who would shape American history. Over the course of his life, he and his wife formed lasting friendships with icons including Elvis Presley, U.S. presidents, civil rights leaders, and world-renowned entertainers.

After attending Memphis State, Mr. Morris served two years in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne at Fort Jackson in South Carolina, receiving an honorable discharge in 1956.

Mr. Morris’ leadership journey accelerated through his work with the Memphis Jaycees, a group of civic-minded young professionals. As Jaycees president at 28, he met entertainer and philanthropist Danny Thomas during the founding of St. Jude — an encounter that would later influence Bill’s role in preserving the hospital’s Memphis roots. In 1964, at age 31, Bill entered the race for Shelby County Sheriff, campaigning on unity, fairness, and progress. He won against the odds and led during a pivotal time in the Civil Rights Movement. He revoked discriminatory policies, enforced the Civil Rights Act, and worked to build trust with the Black community —decisions that shaped the future of law enforcement in Memphis.

Following his 16 years as county mayor, Bill devoted himself to causes close to his heart. He became a fundraiser and ambassador for the University of Memphis, refusing a salary and requesting only an office from which to work. In 1983, he was named Distinguished Alumnus, and the university honored him by establishing the William N. Morris Chair of Excellence in International Economics.

He was also a dedicated and passionate Scouting leader whose lifelong commitment to youth development left a lasting impact on the Scouting community. He served in numerous leadership roles, including on the Chickasaw Council Advisory Board as President of the Kentucky-Tennessee region, Explorer Advisor, School Night for Scouting coordinator, Region 5 Director, and as a member of both the National Committee on Urban Relationships and the National Cub Scout Committee.

In recognition of his extraordinary service and exemplary character, Mr. Morris was honored with Scouting America’s highest awards: the Silver Beaver Award, for distinguished service at the council level, and the Silver Antelope Award, for exceptional leadership and service to youth across his Council Service Territory.

Mr. Morris considered his greatest and most meaningful role to be the one he undertook after public office — caring for Ann following her debilitating stroke. The couple had married in 1953, just two days after her graduation from Humes High School, where she was a classmate of Elvis Presley. Their 63-year marriage was a profound partnership rooted in love and resilience. “Those years caring for Ann were the most satisfying of my life,” Bill once said. “We didn’t look back — we looked forward.”

A man of deep Christian faith, Bill was a longtime member of First Evangelical Church in Memphis. His life was a testament to servant leadership, quiet strength, and unwavering values.

Visitation will be Saturday, August 2nd, from 10 a.m. to noon at First Evangelical Church, 735 Ridge Lake Boulevard. Funeral services will take place following visitation and the family will hold a private graveside service following the funeral. Memorial Park Funeral Home is handling arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or Church Health Center.

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Politics Politics Feature

Showing the Money

JB Smiley (Photo: JB Smiley I Facebook)

The declared candidates for Shelby County mayor in 2026 have hit their first milestone, the fundraising proceeds for the second quarter of the year and the first opportunity to measure their progress vis-a-vis each other, now that the field seems to be set.

Leading the field by leaps and bounds at this point is Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr., who is showing the same start-up energy that he did in his 2022 Democratic primary race for governor, when he got a quick start only to slow down somewhat in the stretch, having arguably overspent himself early. 

As of the end-of-quarter filing report, Smiley had raised $312,688.33, with itemized contributions of $310,722.98. He had spent $141, 517.15 and had cash on hand of $171,171.18.

Next best is Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery, who had raised $214,077, including a $25,000 loan to himself and itemized contributions of $189,077. He had spent $59,962.46 and had cash on hand in the amount of $154,114.54.

County Assessor Melvin Burgess had raised $90,808 (including a $25,000 loan to himself), with itemized contributions of $65,808. He spent only $3,589.77 this quarter and had cash on hand of $96,499.48 — a sum which includes $9,282.25 left over from the previous quarter. 

County CAO Harold Collins’ report shows that he had raised $72,265, with itemized contributions of $70,420. He had spent $14,285.75 and had cash on hand of $57,975.25.

Businessman/philanthropist J.W. Gibson reported $35,580 raised, the same amount as his itemized contributions. He had spent $8,606.15 and had $28,731.59 cash on hand. The independently wealthy Gibson, it should be noted, is expected to spend freely of his own money as needed to stay competitive.

The latest entry in the field, Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn, reports no money raised as of yet but cash on hand of $43,502. 

• Javier Bailey, who is CAO for Assessor Burgess and now seeks the job of assessor himself, had his campaign announcement, a fundraiser/meet and greet at the Memphian Hotel Monday night.

• President Trump is on a rampage to demand that professional sports teams that formerly had monikers relating to Native Americans rid themselves of the new names and go back to the old ones. He cites specifically the NFL’s Washington Commanders (formerly the Redskins) and MLB’s Cleveland Guardians (formerly the Indians).

In making the name change, the owners of those teams bowed to a prevailing volume of opinion that the former names had racist connotations.

Trump didn’t mention the erstwhile minor-league Memphis Chicks, the local baseball franchise that for decades operated here under a nickname relating to the Chickasaw tribe that once occupied our environs before being usurped by white settlers.

Technically the current Triple-A Memphis Redbirds are a different franchise that came into being after intervening years during which Memphis didn’t have a pro baseball team. In any case, there has been no discernible grassroots movement here to revive the old name, which, in its shorthand version, arguably had sexist connotations along with ethnic ones.

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Politics Politics Feature

Green to Vie for Governor

Green with national Democratic Chairman Ken Martin at last weekend’s state Democratic banquet in Nashville (Photo: Jerri Green | Facebook)

First-term Memphis City Councilwoman Jerri Green, who has developed a reputation in the council for diligence and ingenuity, is aiming for higher office. She told The Tennessee Journal this week that she intends to “shake things up” as a candidate for governor in 2026.   

Green, a Democrat, told the Journal, “For me, our government at the state level especially, is lacking in compassion and common sense and courage, and I feel like I have to do something, and so I’m planning to challenge Marsha Blackburn in the fall.” 

Though Blackburn, an incumbent U.S. senator and a Republican, hasn’t formally announced for governor yet and, in fact, is apparently still receiving contributions in her Senate campaign fund, she is widely regarded as a sure bet to run for governor, having previously advertised her interest in the prospect. The only formally announced Republican so far is 6th District state Representative John Rose.

“I’ve lived in Knoxville. I’ve lived in Nashville. I live in Memphis,” Green told the Journal. “I don’t know if anybody ever running for governor has done that. I am sure that they are going to try to paint a picture of me as a liberal from a blue city and all of that, but I’m just a mom, a working mom, and I want to change the future because my future is my flesh and blood.”

The emphasis on being a mom is a reminder of a slogan Green used in a 2020 race against incumbent state Representative Mark White. She billed herself then as “One Tough Mother.”

She told the Journal she would support “paid family leave, affordable healthcare, living wages, unions, and environmental protections as well as work to combat gun violence.” 

Green currently serves as deputy chief of staff to Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. She has previously served as executive director of Memphis’ Community Legal Center, as professor at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law, and as a public defender.  

In her council role, she was widely credited with unearthing potential budget sources to pay for pay raises for city employees.

• The state Registry of Election Finance has approved adjustments that clear former Memphis state Representative John DeBerry of lingering potential imbalances in his former legislative campaign account. DeBerry, who served as a Democrat in the legislature, is now a senior adviser in the cabinet of Republican Governor Bill Lee.

Meanwhile, the Registry is working with Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. as Smiley strives to reduce a $117,500 debt remaining from his unsuccessful 2022 campaign for governor. 

Registry attorney Lauren Topping says Smiley, now an announced candidate for Shelby County Mayor in 2026, has been raising money to pay off his gubernatorial campaign debt.  

Reductions so far include a forgiven debt owed to a company which has since gone out of business and $70,000 owed to a former staffer which the staffer has waived her entitlement to.

The Registry has agreed to keep the matter open as long as Smiley continues to make progress in paying down the debt, but he could face a civil penalty if he doesn’t complete the process before the May 2026 Democratic primary for county mayor.

• Former state Senator and Chancellor Jim Kyle, now retired from his Chancery position because of complications relating to CDIP, a neuropathic disorder, sends regards from the Summit of Germantown, an assisted-living environment and his current domicile.

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Memphis Flyer Podcast July 10, 2025: Gun Violence Epidemic

MLK50 Youth Life and Justice Reporter Rebecca Cadenhead talks with Chris McCoy about the gun violence epidemic affecting Memphis’ children. Read “Caught in the Crossfire” in this week’s Memphis Flyer.

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Politics Politics Feature

Midsummer Musings

Elon Musk (Photo: Justin Pacheco | Public Domain | Wikimedia Commons)

Does Elon Musk really have time to focus, as he has threatened, in furtherance of his feud with ex-BF Donald Trump, on the creation of a new political party?

Events are moving apace with regard to Musk’s xAI project in Memphis. Even amid increasing environmental concerns locally, an approval last week by the Shelby County Health Department of permits for methane gas generators at the existing Colossus facility, and this week’s scheduled Greater Memphis Chamber of Commerce webinar on the whole matter, Musk has accounted for bigger news yet on that front. 

According to various sources, he has confirmed the purchase of an entire power plant overseas, which he intends to ship to Memphis to be located on the additional property he has acquired in Whitehaven. The operation will produce 1 million AI GPUs and up to two gigawatts of power under one roof, enough to power 1.9 million homes.  

As Dylan Patel of the industry organ SemiAnalysis put it, “They just bought a power plant from overseas and are shipping it to the U.S. because they couldn’t get a new one [built] in time. … They’re doing all this crazy shit to get the compute.”

Whatever its other consequences, this new development should certainly ease fears concerning the often lamented potential strain to be exerted on Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) by the xAI project.

But worries over the environment are sure to multiply.

• As noted previously in this space, President Trump had, in the early months of his current presidential term, gone on a firing binge in regard to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) board of directors, removing three of its members and depriving the board, whose oversight includes MLGW, of a quorum.

He has since nominated as replacements three new members, including Memphian Mitch Graves, the CEO of West Cancer Center.

Graves has been a political backer of (and important fundraiser for) both former Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, a nominal if inactive Democrat, and 8th District Republican Congressman David Kustoff.

The other new members of the TVA board are Knoxville attorney Jeff Hagood and Alabama insurance agent Randall Jones.

Trump has also re-nominated Mike Dunavant for a new term as U.S. attorney for Tennessee’s Western District. Dunavant served in that capacity during Trump’s first term.

• Vanderbilt University is well-known for its periodic sampling of Tennesseans’ views on political and civic issues. The university’s most recent poll, more national in scope, was released in mid-June under the rubric of the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and the American Democracy.

The poll contains this interesting nugget from John Geer, co-director of the poll: “Tracking ‘Republicans’ as a single group of partisans no longer tells a complete story. … There are notable differences in sentiment among MAGA Republicans and traditional Republicans, making it critical to consider this distinction when assessing the public’s thinking.” 

It’s fair to say that the poll, in that sense, confirms what most political observers, including this writer, have increasingly suspected.  

Geer goes on: “On the Democratic side, our efforts to look for differences between wings of the party have found little to no difference.” (It remains to be seen, given such results as that of the recent Democratic primary for New York mayor, which elevated avowed Socialist Zohran Mamdani, if that conclusion holds up.)   

Regarding the GOP, Geer observes further: “Identification with the MAGA movement reached an all-time high (52 percent) after the Inauguration, according to the February 2025 Vanderbilt Poll.” In the new poll, that figure has declined to 44 percent.

That finding would square with a variety of recent polls by other sampling services showing growing discontent with numerous Trump initiatives. 

Clarification: Commissioner Henri Brooks contends that a recent Politics column misrepresented a position of hers concerning the county budget. The column noted that she wanted to use a small sum under discussion to “feed the hungry,” rather than for its pending purpose (in her words) as “funding for the DA and the Public Defender’s Offices.” DA Steve Mulroy, who was also present, clarified that the specific need for the outlay by his office was to implement parity for identical work being done by county and state prosecutors. The commission kept the money in the DA’s column. No offense was meant to Commissioner Brooks.

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Memphis Flyer Podcast July 3, 2025: Songs of Protest

Seize and Desist (Photo: H.N. James)

Alex Greene joins Chris McCoy to talk about his cover story on protest music in Memphis, “Positively UnAmerikan.” Check it out on the Memphis Flyer YouTube channel.

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Politics Politics Feature

Brother Act

Thom Tillis (Photo: United States Congress | Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons)

The free world, a term which covers a significant portion — varying from time to time in its dimensions — of these United States, has taken note of the bold stand pursued by U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC), who this week rebelled against the sheepish instincts of his fellow Republicans in their support of Donald Trump’s “big beautiful bill.”

Declaring that, among other things, the bill would drastically undercut the protections extended to the populations of his and other states with severe cuts in Medicaid funding, Tillis publicly declared his opposition to the bill. Knowing that this would land him on Trump’s burgeoning enemies list and ensure that he would face a primary challenge from a Trump acolyte in his reelection bid next year, Tillis went further and, even before the president called for such a thing, said he wouldn’t be running.

An independent streak apparently runs in the Tillis family. The senator’s brother, Rick Tillis, a Lewisburg jeweler and a political moderate like the senator, was for two terms a Republican state representative from District 92 in the Tennessee legislature and ascended to the office of majority whip. But he had difficulty suppressing his sense of anguish at the authoritarian instincts evinced by Glen Casada, the GOP’s house speaker in the 2019 legislative term.

Representative Tillis began operating an anonymous Twitter account entitled “The C.H.B. Blog” (for “Cordell Hull Building Blog”), which mercilessly satirized the speaker’s repressive tactics, including Casada’s clandestine snooping measures against the chamber’s members.

So heavy-handed was Casada’s regime that he was ousted as speaker by his fellow Republicans in the immediate aftermath of that 2019 session, and Tillis’ Twitter barbs had been instrumental in that outcome.

There was payback. A pool of urine was subsequently discovered in one of Tillis’ office chairs, and it was alleged, but never proved, that the donor had been a Casada loyalist.

And Representative Tillis was defeated for reelection in 2020, thanks largely to unusually well-funded support for his primary opponent, largely channeled via a mystery consulting firm called Phoenix Solutions.

In a recent postscript of sorts to the affair, Casada and various others were recently convicted of illegal activities related to the firm, where the former speaker had been a silent partner.

It remains to be seen what degrees of vengeance might end up being leveled at Thom Tillis for his act of apostasy toward Donald Trump, especially since the senator is no longer a candidate for reelection. But the president has long since demonstrated that he is without peer in his zeal for exacting retribution.

Like his brother in Tennessee, however, the senator from North Carolina is clearly unafraid of bullies. It would seem to be a family thing.