Unfair maps can result in expensive lawsuits, poor representation for the political minority, foregone-conclusion elections and safe seats for incumbents. Partisan redistricting also causes voters to lose faith in the system and disengage from civic life.
Many of the incumbents on the August ballot showed up for the first day of the period to pull and file qualifying petitions to get on the ballot.
The indicted state senator is seeking reelection but is expected to face opposition as he tries to retain his seat for District 31.
Contenders seeking a place on the ballot of more than 100 races and potentially hundreds of candidates can begin pulling and filing qualifying petitions Monday in the second of three elections this year. Meanwhile, the May county primary ballot continues to take shape with its own overlapping deadlines.
The dollar figures are among the campaign finance reports covering the past six months. They also show Republican county mayoral contender Worth Morgan has a balance of $159,540.
Reaves announced this past weekend that he will seek the suburb’s Position 3 seat held by David Parsons. Parsons has announced he will run for mayor rather than seek another term as alderman.
There are now five potential contenders in the Democratic primary for Shelby County mayor with about three weeks to the filing deadline to get on the ballot. Here’s a rundown of the latest filings and a few other campaign notes.
County election commission does its first extensive precinct realignment in two decades.
Alderwoman Mary Anne Gibson will seek a third term in Germantown.
Additional candidates have filed petitions for the upcoming May primaries.
The first of the year’s elections is the May county primaries, with early voting starting in mid-April.
As he filed his qualifying petition Friday, Jan. 21, Moody said he hopes the May Democratic mayoral primary remains a one-on-one matchup with incumbent Mayor Lee Harris.
Former commissioner Josh Roman will seek the Lakeland mayor’s office in November; incumbent Mike Cunningham still deciding on seeking re-election.
All three Arlington aldermen up for reelection this year are leaning to seeking new four-year terms in office.
The former county commissioner has pulled petitions to seek a return to the County Commission or to run for Juvenile Court Clerk.
A Chancery Court lawsuit preserved the stalemate between the Shelby County Election Commission and the Shelby County Commission over a way forward in the controversy.
Shelby County Schools board member Bibbs is seeking a County Commission seat. Meanwhile Commission Chairman Brooks is aiming for the Shelby County Register’s job.
Ken Moody opened his challenge of County Mayor Lee Harris Thursday in Overton Square with an attack of Harris’ leadership, similar to how Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland campaigned in his 2015 upset of incumbent AC Wharton Jr.
The assistant to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is expected to formally get into the race starting with the May Democratic primary.
Memphis City Court Judge Tarik Sugarmon will run against incumbent Juvenile Court Judge Dan Michael. Meanwhile, Marcus Mitchell is running for Juvenile Court Clerk County Commissioner Brandon Morrison is running in a new district.
With longtime Mayor A. Keith McDonald stepping down this year, two alderman and a Bartlett police officer have announced they will seek the suburb’s top elected office.
So far, 43 contenders have pulled qualifying petitions to get on the May 3 county primary ballot. Three have also filed their petitions with the Shelby County Election Commission.
The latest contenders in the May county primaries to pull qualifying petitions include a Democratic challenger to County Mayor Lee Harris.
Those pulling petitions have until noon Feb. 17 to file their petitions with the Shelby County Election Commission and if certified go on the May 3, 2022, county primary ballot.
Althea Greene opened her bid for the District 7 commission seat by saying Tennessee’s new open carry gun law is meant to increase violence and killings. Candidates can begin pulling and filing qualifying petitions in the May primaries, including the commission races, starting Monday.