Two big winners in Thursday’s voting in Shelby County were 9th District congressional candidate Steve Cohen, winner of the Democratic primary, and Steve Mulroy, winner of the pivotal District 5 position on the Shelby County Commission. Cohen will be heavily favored in the coming November general election against Republican Mark White and independent Jake Ford. Mulroy has won his position outright, and his victory over Republican nominee Jane Pierotti reverses the current 7-6 partisan breakdown in the Democrats’ favor.
Incumbent Democratic county mayor A C Wharton easily won reelection, as did Sheriff Mark Luttrell and District Attorney General Bill Gibbons, both Republicans. Several countywide positions were won narrowly by Republican incumbents on the basis of the final precincts counted, dashing the hopes of several Democrats who led for much of the night.
Judicial elections saw most incumbents and other pre-election favorites triumphant – though incumbent judges Michelle Alexander-Best and Donn Southern were defeated by Karen Massey and Karen Webster, respectively. (For more, go to “Political Beat”.
