Seventeen candidates filed qualifying papers on Tuesday as the DeSoto County election season kicked off for a variety of offices later this year.

Here is all of the information you need to participate in the first local election of 2023. 

Gibson is a former Shelby County Commissioner who founded Gibson Companies, which has been involved in several economic development projects.

The 11 who made the noon Thursday, Dec. 15, filing deadline are all in the Jan. 24 Democratic primary in the predominantly Democratic district. No one filed in the companion Republican primary.

The certified vote totals from the November election show an increase in the number of provisional ballots cast and counted compared to the August elections. The votes added didn’t change any of the outcomes on the November ballot, but they did boost the turnout to 34.4%.

The 2023 election year will begin in Memphis with a set of January primaries for the late Barbara Cooper’s state House seat.

There are city residency questions surrounding two of the six declared contenders to succeed Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland. Here’s a summary of legal opinions fueling the controversy.

Despite some questions about county residents voting in the Hernando-only referendum on parks funding, the suspected votes were not enough to override defeat of the proposal.

“I thought the support at the polls was overwhelming. We have nothing to hang our heads about,” Bartlett police officer Brent Hammonds said. 

The fifth-grade teacher received the Milken Educator Award on Thursday which includes $25,000 for the winner to use as they choose.

“We need more citizens preparing themselves to vote by weighing the choices to be made, making informed choices about their votes, and then showing up to vote.”

Two recently elected Lakeland commissioners come into new terms with hopes for the suburb’s future and plans for its success.

The State House Democratic leader joins an already-crowded field and emphasized basic city services. Meanwhile, one of her key supporters speculates about another big name that might get into the race.

There are not enough questionable ballots in the Hernando referendum for a 1% tax on prepared foods to overturn the results, a DeSoto County election officials says.

The Daily Memphian’s “On The Record” podcast takes a closer look at the unofficial results in the Tuesday Nov. 8 election.

While the Election Day total shows the 1% tax on prepared foods in Hernando failed, the city’s mayor and others are questioning who actually voted on the matter and whether all of them were residents.

Attorney Allan Wade — in a legal opinion from last week made public Wednesday, Nov. 9 — said a 1996 amendment to the city charter makes living in the city a qualification to hold the office, not run for the office.

Hernando voters reject 1% tax earmarked for parks and recreation. Meanwhile, two school board candidate win offices in Tuesday’s election.

Chris Ford returns to an alderman’s seat in Millington as several other members of the board returned to office in unopposed elections Tuesday.

David Parsons wins Bartlett mayoral election to replace long-time Mayor A. Keith McDonald, who is retiring.

Cooper is an attorney at the Cooper Law Firm. She has been in private practice for 25 years.

Incumbent aldermen will remain in their positions in Collierville. An incumbent won reelection, and a mother won a four-way race for an open school board seat.

For the second time since August, the Memphis City Council District 4 seat has a new representative.

Democrat Steve Cohen and Republican David Kustoff were heavily favored to win reelection and did. But which party will be the majority in the U.S. House is still in doubt.

In Shelby County returns, the closest contest among the four was Amendment 1, which made the state’s “right to work” law part of the Constitution.