School board chair plans run for Memphis mayor
Michelle McKissack.
The chairwoman of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board is forming an exploratory committee to weigh running for Memphis mayor on the October 2023 ballot.
Michelle McKissack will announce the committee Tuesday, Sept. 20, six weeks after winning re-election to the school board for a four-year term that began earlier this month.
McKissack said in a press release Monday that she considers the upcoming mayoral race to be at “a critical decision-making point in this city.”
“Memphis families are doing all that we can to turn things around in our own neighborhoods and protect our children,” she said. “But it’s now time for a big vision from leadership that puts families first.”
She also cited recent violence in the city as well as long-standing issues of equity and access to opportunity.
“Mothers all over Memphis have said enough is enough,” McKissack said. “We’ve lost too much sleep and have shed too many tears in recent weeks. I’m ready for us to have the conversation that this city has avoided having for 200 years.”
McKissack is considering the race as the school system seeks a new superintendent after first suspending, and then accepting the resignation of Joris Ray following allegations of sexual relationships with school system employees.
The board voted last month to accept Ray’s resignation in an agreement that includes a severance payment of $480,000 and ends the investigation into the allegations of misconduct.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is serving his second term as mayor; by terms of the city charter, he is limited to two consecutive terms in the office.
Because there will be no incumbent in the nonpartisan 2023 city elections, the mayor’s race is expected to draw a large field of contenders.
Earlier this month, former Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner and Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Young announced they would each run for mayor.
Each has also appointed a campaign treasurer.
Both have campaigned at local events in recent weeks including the Southern Heritage Classic and the Cooper-Young Festival.
Other contenders considering running for Memphis mayor include Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, State House Democratic leader Karen Camper, former county commissioners J.W. Gibson and James Harvey and First Baptist Broad pastor Keith Norman.
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Michelle McKissack 2023 Memphis Mayor's raceBill Dries on demand
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Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
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