Candidates for 2023 Memphis city elections start pulling petitions to run
The opening day crowd to get petitions at the Election Commission’s Downtown office had a few surprises, a party bus and even some camaraderie among competing candidates.
Bill Dries
Reporter
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.
There are 3904 articles by Bill Dries :
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May 2023
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Elections -
Elections Political Roundup: Dreamfest, the mayor’s race poll, residency ruling
Five of the dozen candidates running for Memphis mayor came to the Overton Park Shell Saturday as the race for mayor enters its most public phase.
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Memphis mayoral candidates react to The Greater 901 Initiative poll
Memphis mayoral candidates react to the residency court ruling
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City of Memphis City Council campaigns reach milestone in race to October election
The political ground the Memphis City Council races will take place on is still moving. Here’s an early look at where all 13 races stand.
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Elections Memphis mayoral candidates react to The Greater 901 Initiative poll
Here’s what some of the mayoral contenders had to say about The Greater 901 Initiative’s recent poll of the 2023 mayor’s race.
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Elections Memphis mayoral candidates react to the residency court ruling
Here is what some of the Memphis mayoral contenders had to say about the Chancery Court ruling that there is no residency requirement for candidates in the October 2023 elections.
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Behind The Headlines A decade after Delta de-hub, Memphis airport becomes more strategic
Scott Brockman, the airport’s president and CEO, talked on “Behind The Headines” about incentives for flights to and from certain cities and other adjustments a decade after Delta ‘de-hubbed’ Memphis International.
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Elections Bonner, Turner can run for Memphis mayor
The two mayoral candidates, neither of whom have lived in Memphis for two years, and the City Council argued that a 1996 referendum repealed residency requirements.
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City of Memphis Memphis City Council members strategize gun control measures
Council attorney Allan Wade says the council can put gun control measures on the ballot. He expects they’ll be “inundated” with challenges. He wouldn’t rule out a court fight over whether they could override state law.
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City of Memphis Myron Lowery stunned by council move to take clerk’s office off October ballot
A year ago, council members spoke privately with their attorney about an issue in the city charter. The resulting step to change the clerk’s office only surfaced the day before Tuesday’s council session.
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City Council isn’t taking a stand on residency in mayoral race
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Elections City Council isn’t taking a stand on residency in mayoral race
A resolution to back a five-year requirement for those running for Memphis mayor and Memphis City Council was tabled Tuesday.
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City of Memphis Memphis City Council members seek to end elected City Court Clerk’s office
The ordinance to eliminate the elected clerk’s office and take it off the October ballot could come up for the first of three votes tomorrow.
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Shelby County County Commission calls on judges to enact new release restrictions early
The new state law requiring elected judges to make decisions about releasing defendants accused of violent felonies takes effect July 1. The County Commission is asking General Sessions judges to start doing that immediately.
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Shelby County Vote on wheel-tax hike delayed at County Commission
The delay in the vote came after it became apparent the nine-vote two-thirds majority wasn’t there in the first of two votes.
Related story:
County Commission calls on judges to enact new release restrictions early
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City of MemphisMemphis City Council considers taking stand on mayor’s race
Some council members claim they came to a “consensus” about entering the lawsuit at a closed May 2 meeting with their attorney without taking a formal vote on it.
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Behind The HeadlinesMemphis voters could choose gun control laws
A city ordinance that could prompt a court fight with the state over gun control has morphed into a potential ballot question for voters. The sponsors of the measure talk about it on “Behind The Headlines.”
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Shelby CountyWheel-tax increase faces first vote by Shelby County Commission
The doubling of the $50 annual wheel tax is integral to County Mayor Lee Harris’ plan to expand the county’s capital budget from $75 million annually to $150 million.
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Shelby CountyCounty Commission Scorecard: Filling in the budget blanks
The commission scorecard tracks critical votes so far to fill in the blanks on a resolution that could raise the county’s wheel tax and an ordinance that could drop the county’s property tax rate.
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Shelby County Property tax cut and wheel-tax hike proposal is on shaky ground
During Wednesday committee sessions, Shelby County commissioners set up later votes on a property rate that would remain the same while a commissioner’s resolution to do away with the wheel tax altogether waits in the wings.
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Shelby County Harris argues for doubled wheel tax
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris pushed for the wheel-tax hike to help rebuild Regional One during Memphis Rotary Tuesday. The Shelby County Commission will take its first look at the proposal today.
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City of Memphis Mayoral residency lawsuit narrows to city council and administration
The Shelby County Election Commission is about to be dropped entirely from the lawsuits over how long mayoral candidates have to live in the city.
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City of MemphisCouncil attorney says 1992 resolution authorizes lawsuit against mayor
A lawsuit filed on behalf of the Memphis City Council, though without explicit council approval, about residency requirements for those candidates running for mayor raises questions about the charter.
Related story:
City Council chair says body did not vote to file residency lawsuit
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Update
ElectionsCity Council chair says body did not vote to file residency lawsuit
The Memphis City Council filed a lawsuit against the Shelby County Election Commission and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to stop a five-year residency requirement for elected officials from being enforced.
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City of MemphisCity Council Scorecard: Traffic stop ban, redistricting and residency
The City Council has two ongoing political potboilers: the residency requirement to seek a citywide office and moving City Council district lines.
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Arts & Culture Poetry contest honors Tom Lee’s heroism 98 years later
The recipients of the second annual poetry and spoken word competition continued the theme set by last year’s winner of a broader interpretation of Tom Lee’s heroism.
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On the Record County budget season hinges on property tax drop for wheel-tax deal
County Commission Budget Committee Chairman Michael Whaley talks about the proposed doubling of the county’s capital budget on The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast.
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