The AM/DM podcast: County races set for August
Shelby County mayoral candidate Mickell Lowery celebrates with supports after winning the Democratic primary May 5, 2026. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
On Tuesday, May 5, Shelby County went to the primary polls, winnowing down wide fields in races for county mayor, county clerk and sheriff. It was a rainy, dreary day, which can cause election night surprises.
In this case, the biggest surprise might have come out of Germantown, in its bid to have a full-time mayor.
Now, Shelby County will return to the polls in August to decide between Mickell Lowery and former state Rep. John DeBerry for mayor, Anthony Buckner and Brad Less for sheriff and LaSonya Hall and Tina Montgomery.
Veteran reporter Bill Dries joins us today to talk about the results and what comes next.
Give it a listen.
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AM/DM 2026 Shelby County electionsMary Cashiola
Mary Cashiola has been a Memphis journalist for nearly two decades, beginning her career covering city government and local neighborhoods at the Memphis Flyer before being hired by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton’s administration.
Before joining The Daily Memphian, she was the managing editor of the Memphis Business Journal, which was named one of the top 10 Best Designed Newspapers in the world by the Society of News Design while she was there.
She also has a background in advertising, with a focus on higher education and the hospitality industry.
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