The latest opinion polls may not reflect it, but it is becoming increasingly clear that most of the other top candidates for Memphis mayor believe Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner is the person to beat.

Bonner was easily reelected just more than a year ago to a second term as sheriff without any Republican opposition in the partisan county election. He is the only mayoral candidate who has recently run, and won, a countywide or citywide race.

And with Bonner leaning in heavily on fighting crime as his No. 1 issue, he appears to have — at the moment, at least — the broadest cross-section of support.

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That might be an arguable point. But without argument, everyone in Greater Memphis is fed up with escalating crime, hence the attraction for someone experienced in law enforcement.

But not so fast.

Bonner is increasingly under attack, mostly for his handling of conditions in the Shelby County Jail. The latest candidate to point fingers at the sheriff is businessman and former County Commissioner J.W. Gibson. He told The Daily Memphian this week that Bonner should be held accountable for numerous inmate deaths that have occurred in the jail at 201 Poplar Ave. and the women’s lockup known as Jail East. 

Gibson criticized Bonner for “weak and ineffective leadership” at the jail and “a staggering display of ineffective leadership that puts our city at risk.”

It was the harshest critique of Bonner by an opponent so far. But it was not the only one. Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board member Michelle McKissack said in a press release and at a news conference last week that Bonner should “stop hiding behind his press team, face the voters and answer serious questions about his mismanagement of the jail and failure to fight crime in our community.”

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Even former longtime mayor Willie Herenton has called on Bonner to answer questions about deaths in the jail. And former Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner stood with famed civil rights attorney Ben Crump in July to call for answers in the death of Jarveon Hudspeth, who died after a traffic stop by sheriff’s deputies.

Bonner’s response to much of the criticism about the jail is plausible. Several of the inmates who died while technically in the custody of the jail were actually at a hospital and were never put behind bars. The sheriff and his supporters believe it is unfair to blame his lack of leadership for deaths that occurred elsewhere.

It all points to the belief that, polls aside, Bonner’s popularity — mixed with the city’s escalating crime rate — makes him the most formidable of the major candidates. But unlike last year, he is not invincible.

I’ve said since the filing and withdrawal deadlines in July that of the 17 people who will appear on the city’s Oct. 5 ballot, only six — perhaps seven — are serious contenders for Memphis’ next mayor. They are, in alphabetical order: Bonner, Tennessee state Rep. Karen Camper, Gibson, Herenton, McKissack, Turner and Downtown Memphis Commission president Paul Young.

And all of them, not just Bonner, should face tough questioning from the public. For example, Camper should explain what she has accomplished for Memphians during her 15 years in the state legislature.

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During a recent ABC24 News interview, Camper said she was responsible for, and participated in, BlueOval City coming to Haywood County, just east of Memphis. That was an overstatement. Camper’s participation consisted of voting for the financial package necessary for Ford Motor Co. to bring the electric-truck assembly plant to West Tennessee.

Gibson should explain more clearly how his business, the Gibson Cos. Inc., has benefitted the larger community. In addition, he’s been out of public office for 13 years. How is he better prepared than other candidates to deal with crime, blight, job creation and forging relationships with the legislature?

Herenton, who is considered the leading candidate in some polls, owes voters broader visibility rather than running a mostly stealth campaign. His refusal to participate in any mayoral forums or debates means he won’t be asked any tough questions about his 17½ years in the mayor’s office and why he abruptly left office less than two years after winning his fifth term. We also don’t know what he intends to do, if elected, that he did not do from 1992 to 2009.

McKissack should better explain the $480,000 severance package given to former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Joris Ray and why the school board, while she was chair, halted an external investigation into allegations that Ray abused his power and violated district policy.

Turner owes more answers to questions about his city residency. Earlier this year, he said he moved from unincorporated Shelby County to a home in Binghampton. But a Daily Memphian review of utility records, published in early May, showed virtually no water usage at the residence. Turner later clarified that he and his family are living in an apartment nearby while the Binghampton home is being renovated.

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That brings us to Young. He keeps insisting that he is a Democrat. But his votes in Republican primaries in 2016 and 2018 have been a source of criticism from some Democratic loyalists.

Granted, the mayor’s race is nonpartisan. But an overwhelming majority of city voters identify as Democrats, and many of them may wonder how committed Young will be in looking out for their concerns rather than big-money interests.

I’m not saying that these questions are disqualifying for any one of the seven top candidates. But I have also said repeatedly that this is the most crucial city election in a generation. The challenges that this city faces are numerous. They are not unlike the challenges in other large urban communities.

Memphis is in dire need of lots of things right now. The greatest of which is strong, capable and forward-thinking leadership. This is no slap at current Mayor Jim Strickland, but I’m sure that most Memphians will tell pollsters that the city is going in the wrong direction.

We are besieged by lawlessness that is not concentrated in any particular section of the city. Our infrastructure needs are countless. Our poverty rate remains too high, and our educational attainment remains too low. Plus, too many voters are apathetic about local elections, which means turnout likely will again be embarrassingly low.

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So, at this point, I don’t know which of the mayoral candidates has what it takes to break through and connect with the most voters. They have exactly six weeks to make their move.

And as the campaign heats up post-Labor Day, they owe voters clear explanations about their qualifications and preparedness to take on this awesome job.

Only those who show up and give cogent answers deserve consideration to lead Memphis for the next four years.