Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is running for re-election on a record of basics in a campaign that emphasizes consistency and separates him from past mayors who have emphasized their vision for the city. It's a different political path that has its challenges.
The Memphis campaign season is now at the stage when there are numerous campaign forums that bring together rivals, incumbents and their challengers. And the forums can be a mixed bag for the candidates and the voters they hope to persuade.
City Council member Gerre Currie has had an unexpected path to the council starting with her appointment to the District 6 seat in January. On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, she discusses her decision to run for a full term in an open Super District seat instead of District 6.
The Arlington ballot is topped by a challenge of Mayor Mike Wissman's bid for a third term. It includes three races for aldermen and two for the Arlington school board.
In a “Behind The Headlines” interview, Mayor Jim Strickland defended his record of racial equity. His comments were his most pointed about Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer of the campaign, covering several issues.
Former mayor Willie Herenton is the city's longest-serving mayor and its first elected African-American mayor, with a colorful legacy. His bid to return after a decade away is the next chapter in that legacy.
Memphis Mayoral contender and Shelby County Commissioner Tami Sawyer is mounting a complex challenge of incumbent mayor Jim Strickland. The challenge combines promises of disruption with national issues as Sawyer seeks to fuse activism with electoral politics.