Category: Politics Beat Blog

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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 Beat Blog

Joan Robinson — Friend and Inspiration

Elizabeth Rincon (left) and Joan Robinson. Courtesy Elizabeth Rincon via Facebook

The following is a testimonial to the late Joan Robinson, a political presence extraordinaire, who died last week, leaving a sense of huge loss along with a bounty of fond memories among her many friends in the Memphis community.

The author, Liz Rincon, is one of those friends. Crediting Robinson with igniting her own career as a well-known  political consultant here and elsewhere, Rincon — now  chief of staff to state Senator Robert Martwick (D-Ill.) — recalls her friend and issues an all-points invitation to a memorial to  Robinson on Friday, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Slider Inn Downtown. — Jackson Baker

There are certain moments in time when it truly feels like the end of an era, right now feels like just that, as we say goodbye to Joan Robinson.

I first met Joan when I was just 24. It was January 2004 and the Democratic presidential primaries were heating up and if you can imagine it, Memphis had several field offices all over town corresponding to their candidate. I walked into the Wesley Clark headquarters where I was greeted by this larger-than-life woman who was only five feet tall, enthusiastically telling me all about “Big Wes” and why I should volunteer. I was then handed a cup of warm white wine, I was sold!

Joan didn’t know it at the moment, but she is the reason I have a career in politics and I am forever grateful. That year I would work campaigns in Florida and Chicago, but eventually I would return to Memphis where the majority of my political work would happen.

Memphis politics isn’t for the faint of heart, it can be a wild ride each election cycle. It feels as if Tim Burton scripted the scene for us ahead of time. Ballots, competing egos, continued accusations that we turn out dead voters and for me and my team a little bit of a punk rock spirit, mixed with Chicago organizing and always a good time. With every door knocked, call made and mail sent out, there would also be a lot of hard drinking, smoking and late night night bullshit sessions with local political influencers, activists and of course … our Joanie. There with her glass of white wine, sharp tongue when it came to the elephants, and that infectious laugh.

Having a political career in Memphis means working seven days a week (that famous Memphis hustle) learning how to decipher bullshit (can we talk about the fake ballot game?) and a lot of relationship-building (your enemy today is your friend tomorrow). No matter which campaign I took on, I could count on Joan to be there in support, but she wasn’t some shrinking flower in the background. Um, hell no! She would get right up in a candidate’s face, with her glass of white wine splashing around in one hand, while her always manicured finger was pointing directly in their face. 

She was a tough broad, made from the Joan Crawford personality collection and that was the brilliance. If you were a pro-life Democrat, pack it up, son! She left that guy wishing he had made better life choices that morning. And at the same time, if you were on the side of women, she would be fiercely loyal for life.

As I look around my office, where I now sit as Chief of Staff for a state Senator in Chicago, it is all Memphis campaign memorabilia and the knowledge that I would not be sitting here in this very privileged space if I hadn’t walked into that HQ on Union Ave 21 years ago. Joan, you are one of a kind and I promise that we will all work harder in your name. 

We are down a warrior, but I promise we will fight harder for you and what you believed America’s promise to be.

If you want to raise a toast, come bullshit about Memphis politics and say good bye to the legendary Joan Robinson, please join us Friday, June 20th at Slider Inn Downtown at 363 Mulberry Street, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

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Politics Beat Blog

Partisan School Board Controversy in Local GOP

As the executive committee of the Shelby County Republican Party prepares to meet on Thursday night at the Great Hall of Germantown to consider the issue of partisan school board races, a longtime GOP activist weighs in against the idea

In a letter to the Flyer, Naser Fazlullah, a recent candidate for party chairman who held the office of vice chair, condemns the idea. Says Fazlullah:

“As a resident of Shelby County and someone who deeply values public education, I’m alarmed by efforts to make our school board elections partisan.

“Our children are already navigating a complex world. They don’t need the added burden of political division influencing the decisions shaping their classrooms, curriculum, and futures.

“Partisan school boards risk turning every vote, every debate, and every decision into a political battle, one where our kids are the casualties. We need leaders focused on what’s best for students, not what’s best for a party.

“Our schools must be places where all children, regardless of background, can feel safe, supported, and inspired to succeed. That only happens when school boards are free from political agendas.

“Let’s focus on the kids and reject partisan school boards in Shelby County.

“Sincerely,

Naser Fazlullah”

The discussion comes in the wake of legislation recent passed by the Tennessee General Assembly requiring that all school board races be concurrent with elections to the County Commission and subject to the same term-limit considerations — a change that will tend to locate school board elections within a political nexus — especially as some version of a full or partial state takeover via an “advisory board” is known to be high on next year’s agenda of the General Assembly.

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Politics Beat Blog

Local Dems Hit Snag Again

Frustrated Democrats included (l to r) TNDP Chair Rachel Campbell, chairmanship candidate Willie Simon, event moderator Will Richardson, and chairmanship candidate Jeff Etheridge

They came, they saw, they quarreled, and nobody conquered.
Several hundred Shelby County Democrats gathered at Pilgrim Rest Baptist Church on McLemore on Saturday for the express purpose of electing new officers, but their meeting dissolved in chaos and confusion and the various party factions finally agreed to try again “in 30 days” to reach agreement.

Meanwhile, the party must endure a reprise of sorts of the situation of 2016, when local party disunion became so flagrant that the state party organization dissolved the local party, which did not reorganize itself into a functional organization until a year later.

As of Saturday, the Tennessee Democratic Party (TNDP) is once again in control of things, and the Shelby County Democratic Party (SCDP) is once again officially dormant.

The issues on Saturday were complicated, but, on the surface, they seemingly had to do with what the county party’s governing bylaws should be, and whether proposed revisions to them had or had not been successfully promulgated and acted upon in time for Saturday’s reorganization meeting.

The meeting had begun in a spirit of unity with a series of exhortatory speeches by party principals, including a particularly spirited pair by the party’s legislative caucus chair Karen Camper, who warned that Republicans in state government had set their sights on displacing Democrats from all local posts, and state Representative Justin Pearson, who declaimed the advantages of organized “people power.”

Order began to crumble when local Democrats Inez Warner and Rickey Peete rose to question whether the body, which included the party’s executive committee, its grassroots representatives, and Democrats at large had been properly apprised of new party bylaws and given a chance to examine and approve them.

What ensued from that point, was a succession of  responses, amid ever-deepening cacophony, from party figures in both the local and the state Democratic organizations.

As to the bylaws, there are several overlapping issues: 

One issue is whether voting on the local party’s leadership should include members of the local party’s “grassroots” (general membership) organization  of 100-odd members or limited to the 30-member executive committee, the core of which is two members from each county commission district. (The larger, combined voting base is traditional. A motion to limit voting to the executive committee had been defeated at a recent SCDP meeting.)

Another issue concerned whether the voter base, however construed, should elect all local party officers at once, as recommended by the TNDP, or only the chair, who would appoint the other officers. (The latter method is the local tradition.)

It is unclear how the chances of either declared chairmanship candidate — Jeff Etheridge or current acting chair Willie Simon — would be affected by the choice of bylaws.

An animating circumstance underlying the party’s reorganization efforts was the removal last year of former chair Lexie Carter, ostensibly for performance reasons, by then-SCDP chair Hendrell Remus.

For whatever reason, holdover adherents of Carter seem to favor changes in the bylaws to limit the franchise, and supporters of Etheridge, who began Saturday expressing confidence in the outcome, appeared to be especially aggrieved by the snag in Saturday’s planned election.

A largely unspoken but looming aspect of the situation is that Etheridge is white and Simon is African-American, though both candidates have supporters across racial and ethnic boundaries.

In any case, after Saturday, the local party will, in every sense, have to start all over. Again.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Trump Pardons Brian Kelsey

Brian Kelsey

Years ago, back when he was first indicted for campaign finance violations, then state Senator Brian Kelsey explained publicly that it was all a plot against him by the Biden administration.

A lot of people (us included) got a laugh out of that, and it wasn’t (necessarily) a case of schadenfreude, a German phrase meaning “the taking of pleasure at someone else’s misfortune.”

The general reaction, even from Kelsey’s friends and supporters, was a sense that the Germantown Republican, who’d gotten nailed for illegally channeling money from his state campaign treasury into his unsuccessful 2016 race for Congress, was inflating his own importance beyond belief.

I mean, what were the odds that Biden had even heard of an obscure small-fryTennessee state legislator, much less made a point of targeting him?

The joke, as it turns out, is on the doubters.

As the Nashville-based political newsletter The Tennessee Journal was the first to reveal on Tuesday evening, Donald J. Trump — Joe Biden’s successor as president of the United States, mind you — has expended one of his famous magic pardons on Kelsey, who for the last two weeks had been languishing in federal prison in Kentucky.

Here, verbatim and in toto, is Kelsey’s own Tweet concerning the miracle:

“God used Donald Trump to save me from the weaponized Biden DOJ. This afternoon I received a full and unconditional pardon from an act that even my chief accuser admitted I didn’t commit. Thank you for all your prayers! Praise the Lord most high! May God bless America, despite the prosecutorial sins it committed against me, President Trump, and others the past four years. And God bless Donald J. Trump for Making America Great Again!”

This is not a spoof.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog Politics Feature

Political Dominoes

(left) Marsha Blackburn; (right) Bill Hagerty (Photos: United States Senate, Public domain | Wikimedia Commons)

To remind the faithful readers of this space: In our year-end issue, we offered forecasts about the shape of things to come in the political arena.

One circumstance noted for the record was the fact that both of Tennessee’s incumbent U.S. senators — Marsha Blackburn and Bill Hagerty — would strongly consider running for governor in 2026.

That is what our pipeline said, and that is what we reported, even though it seemed passing strange, even to us. Why? Because the customary rites of passage flow in the opposite direction — with the gubernatorial office more often serving as a springboard for Senate, than vice versa.

That is definitely the pattern in our neighboring state of Arkansas, where such eminent recent members of the Senate as Dale Bumpers and David Pryor (both now deceased) served what amounted to apprenticeships as governor before going on to become senators.

To be sure, ambitions may figure differently in the Land of Opportunity than in the Volunteer State, but Lamar Alexander ran first for governor and then for senator. And one recalls the unhappy, arguably tragic fate of Democrat Frank Clement, who served several terms as the state’s governor before meeting his Waterloo in two successive failed runs for the Senate.

(Interestingly, Clement’s second and final failed try, in 1966, resulted in the election to the Senate of Republican Howard Baker — the forerunner of what, in the course of time, would become the wall-to-wall ubiquity of GOP state officials.)

In any case, both of Tennessee’s current Republican senators have floated unmistakable trial balloons regarding gubernatorial races in 2026, and both seem dead serious. It may be far-fetched to imagine a competitive race between the two, but, my, wouldn’t that be an attention-grabber!

More likely, forces in the Republican Establishment — most notably Donald Trump — would probably dictate the choice of one over the other. (Either could make a plausible claim of loyalty to the president and to the MAGA agenda.)

And, given the high probability of success for the ultimate GOP nominee, one can imagine a domino-like chain reaction of opportunities opening up for other upwardly mobile Tennessee Republicans.

If Hagerty makes a governor’s race, he could either run for both governor and re-election as senator simultaneously, or go ahead and shed his Senate seat (his term would expire in 2026, anyhow) while campaigning for governor. In that latter eventuality, a race for his departed seat would occur in 2026, with a high probability that 8th District Congressman David Kustoff would be a candidate.

Kustoff’s seat, in turn, might then well be targeted by, say, the preternaturally ambitious state Senator Brent Taylor, in which case his seat would open as well, with possible aspirants for it including former city councilmen Kemp Conrad and Frank Colvett, and maybe even state Rep. Mark White. (A White race would create yet another vacancy and another domino.)

If Blackburn runs and wins, she would keep her Senate seat until being sworn in, in which case either she or a lame-duck Bill Lee would appoint a temporary Senate successor, with a special election for a permanent senator to be held in 2028.

The same sort of sequence as mentioned above for a Hagerty win might then occur, involving the same or a similar cast of characters, though everything would happen at a later remove in time.

Got all that straight, gentle reader? Probably not, though it could be worse. There are other permutations and possible complications we’re sparing you from.

The bottom line is that some shock and awe seems certain for the state’s political calendar in 2026, along with a potentially dizzy round of dominoes.

And who knows? Maybe some as yet unknown Democrat comes out of nowhere to spoil the party at some point along the succession line. 

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Politics Politics Beat Blog Uncategorized

State Democratic Chair Removes SCDP Chair Carter

Tennessee Democratic Party chair Hendrell Remus (Photo: Courtesy TN Democratic Party)

In a surprise action that recalls a similar circumstance eight years ago, state Democratic Party chair Hendrell Remus has removed local Shelby County party chair Lexie Carter from power.

The action took place Thursday following a Zoom call between Carter, Remus, and others. Invoking what the state chair said was the absolute authority of the state party over local parties, Remus said Carter had not measured up to the needs of a coordinated Democratic campaign for the fall election.

He mentioned specifically the campaigns for District 98 state representative of Jesse Juseth, who opposes Republican incumbent John Gillespie, and that of Gloria Johnson of Knoxville against GOP US Senator Marsha Blackburn.

Remus said he had sent a questionnaire to Carter asking for details of the local party’s readiness for election activity and received insufficient information in response.

Carter professed to be taken by surprise, having just, as she maintained, presided over the local party’s annual Kennedy Day banquet last weekend and raised upwards of $40,000 for party coffers. She alleged that a number of disagreements and confrontations had occurred between herself and Remus at the recently concluded Democratic National Convention in Chicago.

Former local party chair and ex-County Commissioner Van Turner, who had assisted Carter in answering Remus’ questionnaire, raised concerns about due process in Carter’s removal and likened his action to the state Republican Party supermajority’s attempt to dominate over the actions of local government.

Remus said he would be appointing four ad hoc co-chairs to guide the SCDP until December, when a local party election will be held.

The new developments recalled the situation of 2016 when then state Democratic chair Mary Mancini disbanded the Shelby County party following years of local controversy, including charges of embezzlement.

The local party was reconstituted in 2017 with Corey Strong as chair.

More details to come as they are learned.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Still on Call

Alisa Haushalter (Photo: Jackson Baker)

Some readers might wonder: Whatever happened to Alisa Haushalter? The former director of the Shelby County Health Department, Haushalter was, not so long ago, one of the most visible people in the public eye as department head at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

By one measure — the fact that she was publicly accountable and on call on a daily, even hourly basis — she may have been for a time the single most visible of all local officials. Not only was she at the helm of the health department and having to cope directly with the scourge of Covid, managing local responses to it as best as she could; she had the responsibility of communicating every aspect of the disease’s progress and every important piece of data relating to its impact on the community. It was 24/7 and then some.

It is certainly arguable that Haushalter herself was one of the chief victims in Shelby County of the Covid-19 pandemic. Her work as the director was hailed as exemplary then and later by her associates in the department and in county government at large.

But, simply because of the prominence of her position, she was caught up in various controversies that owed more to the inherent disruptiveness wrought by the pandemic than to any actions she was responsible for.

Consider this a tease for a forthcoming lengthier, and possibly eye-opening, treatment of Haushalter’s pivotal and arguably heroic service on behalf of Shelby County in a time of crisis. Suffice it to say for the moment that political pressures relating to state vs. local issues played a large role in her decision, in February 2021, to step down as health department director.

But her service to Shelby County has continued. When she came here in 2016, after years of health service, first in Nashville and later at the renowned Nemours health complex in Delaware, she had a request of then-County Mayor Mark Luttrell, who hired her.

For three years, while working in Nashville, she had gone back and forth between the state’s two largest cities working on her doctorate, which she got from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

“When I was in Nashville,” she recalls, “I had dual appointments. I taught at Vanderbilt, and I was at the health department there. So when I came here, part of my discussion with Mayor Luttrell was, ‘Can I have a dual appointment so that I’m still teaching?’” The answer was yes, and, while serving as health department director she taught health policy at UT. 

Her thinking was eminently commonsensible. “That really was sort of how I came back to Tennessee. You learn along with the students, and the students get to learn from someone who has experience, not just what they’re getting from reading the book. And so it has always been a good match.”

Upon leaving the department, Haushalter would expand her teaching load to include, currently, healthcare economics and population health.

She has never departed from the idea of service. She’s still very much here and on the case, keeping her hand in — learning, doing, and teaching. Aside from her regular students, she says, she’s still on call at the department. “There are team members over there that still reach out to me that I coach or mentor.”

Her bottom line: “I’m committed to public health, I’m committed to nursing and have spent decades doing that. And I’m committed to Shelby County.”

More about Alisa Haushalter to come. Stay tuned.

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Cohen, Sawyer, Salinas, Johnson Among Election Winners

Tami Sawyer (Photo: Courtesy Tami Sawyer)

There were no major — or even minor — surprises in the August 1st round of elections in Shelby County.

In the only county general race on the ballot, Democratic nominee Tami Sawyer defeated Republican nominee Lisa Arnold by 40,383 votes to 34,563 for the position of General Sessions clerk.

In the tightest race on the state and federal portion of the ballot, for the Democratic nomination for the open District 96 state representative seat, Gabby Salinas eked out a close win over runner-up Telisa Franklin, 2,168 votes to 2,036.

Others, with their vote totals, were Eric Dunn, 397; David Winston, 281; and Orrden Williams Jr., 52. 

There being no Republican candidate on the November 5th ballot, Salinas becomes, ipso facto, the state Representative-elect.

In the Democratic primary for United States Senate, Gloria Johnson, state representative of Knoxville, overcame runner-up Marquita Bradshaw, a Memphian who had been an upset winner of a previous Senate primary four years ago.

Votes statewide were: Johnson, 22,255; Bradshaw, 16,857; Lola Denise Brown, 3,585; and Civil Millder-Watkins, 1,875.

In November, Johnson will oppose incumbent Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who won her primary with ease over Tres Wittum. The margin in Shelby was 25,2001 to 2,566.

In the Democratic primary for the 9th District U.S. representative seat, incumbent Steve Cohen easily won renomination. Votes were: Cohen, 29,818; Corey Strong, 7,115; M. Latroy A-Williams, 1,928; Kassandra L. Smith, 1,507.

Cohen will be opposed in November by Republican Charlotte Berman, who was unopposed in her primary.

In the Democratic primary for the 8th District congressional seat, Sarah Freeman won nomination with 2,661 votes. Others were: LunetteWilliams with 905 votes; Brenda Woods, 824; Leonard Perkins, 538; and Lawrence A. Pivnick, 762.

In November, Freeman will oppose incumbent Republican Rep. David Kustoff, who was unopposed in his primary.

In the Republican primary for state representative, District 97, incumbent John Gillespie defeated Christina Oppenhuizen, 4,910 votes to 236. He will be opposed in November by Democrat Jesse Huseth, who was unopposed in his primary.

In the Democratic primary for state representative, District 84, incumbent Joe Towns defeated Vernell Williams, 2,321 votes to 461.

In the Democratic primary for state representative, District 93, incumbent Rep. G.A. Hardaway defeated LaShanta Rudd, 2,209 votes to 730.

More results to come, including Shelby County School Board races. 

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Politics Politics Beat Blog

Tami Sawyer Gets Backup

Tami Sawyer and friends. Photo by Jackson Baker.

As the August 1st phase of the 2024 election turned into its final week, Tami Sawyer, the Democratic nominee for General Sessions Court Clerk, did not enter it by herself.

At a press conference held on the grounds of Anointed Temple of Praise on Riverdale Road, Sawyer was joined by an impressive roster of leading Democratic Party figures — including state party chair Hendrell Remus from Nashville, Shelby County Democratic chair Lexie Carter, State Representative Justin J. Pearson, Germantown Democrats president Jeff Ethridge, and numerous others.

The clerk’s race, on the county general part of the ballot, is basically the only direct test of party candidates on August 1st, and members of the group Wednesday — along with Sawyer herself  — were at pains to make the point that it was not a matter of indifference who gets elected to what is not generally thought as a policy position. The Republican nominee for clerk is Lisa Arnold.

Sawyer noted that the presidential hopes of Kamala Harris, who would be the first woman of color to be elected president, carried important symbolic impact. So, she suggested, would the election of herself, as a well-known activist and as a black woman and a Democrat, to a local post of more than usual import and visibility.

Sawyer and her supporters had worried all morning about a forecast of possible rain, and they had erected a tent on the grounds just in case, As things turned out, it wasn’t needed. The first drop, and it was a light one at that, didn’t fall until the press conference was concluded.