All but one of the key contested races on the May 3rd county primary ballot are in the Democratic primary. The one exception is a grudge match in which four sitting GOP commissioners are backing newcomer Jordan Carpenter in District 4 (Germantown, East Memphis) against Republican Commissioner Brandon Morrison, whose sin was to cooperate too often with the majority Democrats on the commission.
The main race, in one sense, is between incumbent Democratic County Mayor Lee Harris and challenger Ken Moody, a veteran of city service in two city administrations. Harris hasn’t fully turned on the jets yet, but his backing is both more influential and more bountiful financially than that of Moody.
City Councilman Worth Morgan, a Republican, awaits the winner in August.
There is no sheriff’s race to speak of, since incumbent Democrat Floyd Bonner, unopposed in his own primary, has no Republican opponent — a fact attesting either to the Democrats’ demographic edge countywide or to the GOP’s genuine support for Bonner’s law enforcement policies.
Unquestionably the year’s most intensely competitive race, down the line in August and perhaps on May 3rd as well, is that for district attorney general. Three able Democratic lawyers — Steve Mulroy, Janika White, and Linda Harris — are competing in their primary, with Mulroy, something of an icon in civil liberties and voting-rights circles and the owner of impressive endorsements, presumably in the lead for the right to challenge incumbent Amy Weirich in August. The August race may involve more campaign spending — arguably up to or more than a million dollars — than any other local race.
A tight race is brewing in the Democratic primary for juvenile court clerk, with County Commissioner and community organizer Reginald Milton leading in endorsements and cash receipts in a field including local TV veteran Janeen Fullilove-Gordon, former school board member Stephanie Gatewood, and Marcus Mitchell, a major with the Memphis Police Department. Republican Rob White awaits in August.
Once upon a time, Cordova was a white-flight preserve. It is now fully diversified ethnically, with demographics that lean Democratic, and is to be represented on the County Commission by the newly shaped District 5. Three Democrats are vying in the primary.
If experience and sheer know-how count for anything, Quran Folsom should do quite well on election day. As chief administrator for the past several years, she is aware of all commission programs and protocols. And she’s raised a fair amount of money. The question is, does she have enough of a known public persona and political network to get her vote out?
The network question applies also to Reginald French, who has a lengthy pedigree of involvements with local government, most of it in the past and much of it with the late Herenton city administration, where French, a key figure, knew the ropes and incurred some rope burns, as well.
Shante Avant, from her recent school board work, is known to a constituency; the problem is that her constituency belongs to a South Memphis district, not the Cordova area which she now seeks to represent.
After a recent forum, all three candidates did well enough, addressing mainly residential matters and questions of public safety, to draw plaudits from the event emcee, local Democrat Jeff Etheridge, who expressed the wish that other ballot spots were filled by as many qualified candidates as there were.
The winner will face Republican Todd Payne in August.
• More Commission Races:
Well-known Frayser-Raleigh activist Charlie Caswell seems to have an edge over prominent young Democrat Alexander Boulton in the Democratic primary race for commission District 6.
There are five Democratic candidates competing in District 7, including activist Kathy Temple, who has support from progressives; former Commissioner Henri Brooks, who is attempting a comeback; and Althea Greene, who has name recognition as a school board member. Also running are Cartavius Black and Orrden Williams.
Incumbent Edmund Ford Jr. is in good shape to hold off opponents Sam Echols and Sean Harris in District 9.
An interesting three-way in the Democratic primary in District 10 has Kathy Kirk Johnson of the public defender’s office and a well-known local political family competing with mega-activist Britney Thornton, who heads a nonprofit group in Orange Mound, and Teri Dockery, an activist in the Cherokee neighborhood.
Another three-way in District 11 features activist Candice Jones, the early leader by virtue of diligent campaigning; school board member Miska Clay Bibbs; and the Rev. Eric Winston, a repeat candidate for the commission who has support from educators.
In District 12, a battle royal of sorts is on between retired educator James Bacchus; the Rev. Reginald Boyce, senior pastor at Riverside Missionary Baptist Church; educator and voting-rights activist Erika Sugarmon; and David Walker.
Democratic incumbent Mickell Lowery is unopposed in the District 8 primary, as is Michael Whaley in District 13. The Democrats have one challenger each — Donna McDonald-Martin in District 1 and Britney Chauncey in District 4 — both heavily Republican outer-county suburban districts whereto Republican candidates should win handily in August.
• Other Contested Democratic Primary Races:
Assessor Melvin Burgess is comfortably ahead of challenger Roderic Blount.
Incumbent Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn is running hard against a repeat opponent, Carla Stotts, and Maerne Bernard.
Circuit Court Clerk Temiika Gipson has a tough race with City Council Chair Jamita Swearengen, who has abundant name recognition and support.
Gipson’s daughter, first-timer Arriell Gipson, is hoping to get traction from an aggressive social media campaign against the heavily favored incumbent County Clerk Wanda Halbert, with William Stovall and Mondell Williams also running.
Incumbent Probate Court Clerk Bill Morrison is dealing with two sturdy challengers, outgoing County Commissioner Eddie Jones and William Chism of a well-known local family.
Incumbent Register of Deeds Shelandra Ford has a serious challenge from current County Commission Chair Willie Brooks and a late-breaking one from Wanda Logan Faulkner, who alleges “deed fraud” as an issue without much elaboration.
