JB Smiley Jr. touts ‘direct’ leadership style as he joins Shelby County mayor’s race
Memphis city councilman JB Smiley Jr. takes questions from reporters at the event announcing his candidacy for Shelby County mayor on April 28, 2025. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Memphis City Council member JB Smiley Jr. joins what could be a large field of contenders in the Democratic primary to succeed Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
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Shelby County Mayor JB Smiley 2026 County Mayor's Race 2026 electionsBill 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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