Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

2. Lenoir and Harris Advance in County Mayor's Race - Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Republican David Lenoir and Democrat Lee Harris will meet in the Aug. 2 county general election to decide who will be the next Shelby County Mayor. Lenoir and Harris won their respective primaries easily Tuesday, May 1, 2018.

3. Candidates’ Choices - Friday, March 16, 2018

Polls, phone banking, messaging, yard signs, who is paid and who is a volunteer – all are elements of a campaign. And each is part of an overall strategy.

But most campaigns struggle with a schedule of which events to attend and which to forgo. And in the 2018 campaign season, the number of events is only growing as the May 1 county primary elections near, followed by the county general election and state and federal primaries in August, then the state and federal general elections in November.

4. County Primary Ballot Includes Partisan Match-Ups, Automatic Wins - Monday, February 19, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

5. Two County Commissioners Re-elected At May Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, February 16, 2018

Two Democratic county commissioners effectively won re-election to new terms of office at the Thursday, Feb. 15, filing deadline for candidates on the May 1 county primary ballot. And a third faces independent opposition in the August county general election.

6. Cobb Files in Democratic Primary for Sheriff - Saturday, December 30, 2017

The 2014 Democratic nominee for Shelby County sheriff, Bennie Cobb, has filed his qualifying petition to run for sheriff in the May county primaries.

7. Cobb Files in Democratic Primary for Sheriff - Wednesday, December 27, 2017

The 2014 Democratic nominee for Shelby County sheriff, Bennie Cobb, has filed his qualifying petition to run for sheriff in the May county primaries.

8. May Primary Ballot Continues to Fill Up - Wednesday, December 13, 2017

Floyd Bonner, chief sheriff’s deputy for Shelby County, is among the latest candidates to file for a place on the May 2018 primary elections ballot. Bonner filed Friday, Dec. 8, in the Democratic primary for sheriff. He is expected to run against sheriff’s office supervisor and 2014 Democratic nominee for sheriff Bennie Cobb in the primary.

9. Touliatos Files In County Mayor’s Race - Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Republican contender for Shelby County mayor Joy Touliatos is the first candidate in the race atop the May county primary ballot to file her qualifying petition. Touliatos, who is currently the Juvenile Court clerk, filed with the Shelby County Election Commission just before the Thanksgiving holiday.

10. The Next Four Years - Saturday, November 18, 2017

A week before candidates for the 2018 Shelby County elections could pull qualifying petitions to run, Shelby County Commissioner David Reaves was thinking out loud on Facebook.

“Next four years,” was how it began.

11. Lane Touts Luttrell Endorsement in Sheriff's Race - Friday, September 8, 2017

Republican contender for Shelby County Sheriff Dale Lane is touting the support of every suburban mayor in the county, current Shelby County Mayor and former sheriff Mark Luttrell, and former county mayor Jim Rout.

12. Floyd Bonner Opens Campaign for Sheriff - Thursday, August 31, 2017

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Floyd Bonner Jr. kicked off his campaign for sheriff Tuesday, Aug. 29, with a group of 150 supporters at The Racquet Club in East Memphis and the full endorsement of current Sheriff Bill Oldham.

13. Bonner Opens Campaign For Sheriff - Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Floyd Bonner Jr. kicked off his campaign for Sheriff Tuesday, Aug. 29, with a group of 150 supporters at the Racquet Club in East Memphis and the full endorsement of current Sheriff Bill Oldham.

14. Vandiver Growing Customer Relationships at Agritech Firm The Seam - Wednesday, August 9, 2017

The Seam, a technology firm founded by agribusiness companies that specializes in commodity trading and management systems, has added Rex Vandiver in a customer development role. Vandiver helps with customer support and project management, and he’s also taking a greater role in involvement with the peanut industry to help The Seam better serve its customers’ needs.

15. 2,700 Vote Early, 3 Election Day Polls Move in House District 95 - Tuesday, June 13, 2017

A total of 2,700 citizens cast early votes ahead Thursday’s special state House District 95 election in eastern Shelby County. And on election day, three of the 14 polling places – two in Collierville and one in Germantown – will move from their regular locations.

16. Chism Readying 2018 Bid for County Mayor - Thursday, July 21, 2016

Former Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism wants to be the Democratic nominee for Shelby County mayor in 2018, and he plans to begin his campaign after the November presidential election.

17. Local Democrats’ Differences Remain - Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Local Democratic Party leaders who backed pursuing a criminal complaint against former party chairman Bryan Carson said last week they hope to put the controversy over party finances behind them.

18. Local Democrats’ Differences Remain - Monday, June 6, 2016

Local Democratic Party leaders who backed pursuing a criminal complaint against former party chairman Bryan Carson said last week they hope to put the controversy over party finances behind them.

19. Pope New Democratic Chairman as Party Pursues Complaint Against Carson - Friday, June 3, 2016

The interim chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party became the new chairman of the party Thursday, June 2. And the local party’s leadership voted to file a criminal complaint with the District Attorney General’s office against former chairman Bryan Carson over party finances.

20. Pope New Democratic Chairman as Party Pursues Complaint Against Carson - Friday, June 3, 2016

The interim chairman of the Shelby County Democratic Party became the new chairman of the party Thursday, June 2. And the local party’s leadership voted to file a criminal complaint with the District Attorney General’s office against former chairman Bryan Carson over party finances.

21. Chism Political Picnic Offers Pre-Campaign Snapshot - Monday, June 15, 2015

Memphis mayoral contender Jim Strickland saw a face he didn’t recognize Saturday, June 13, in the southwest Memphis crowd at former County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual political picnic.

22. Democratic Chairman Apologizes as Party Parses Defeats - Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Democrats don’t consider it a successful campaign season unless there is some kind of intra-party dust up, the political axiom goes.

That conventional political wisdom loses its validity the more Republicans win, and it suggests that when the differences within the party aren’t mended by a Democratic victory, a bigger skirmish is likely on the horizon.

23. Cohen Prevails, Incumbents Dominate - Friday, August 8, 2014

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen held off Thursday, Aug. 7, the most serious electoral challenge he’s faced since winning the Congressional seat in 2006, in the form of attorney Ricky E. Wilkins.

24. Cohen, Luttrell, Weirich, Harris Take Early Vote - Friday, August 8, 2014

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen has taken the early vote over challenger Ricky Wilkins in the hard fought Democratic Congressional primary on Thursday’s Shelby County election ballot.

25. Multiple Choice - Saturday, August 2, 2014

It could have been an election about the local criminal justice system. The set of once-every-eight-years judicial races was the perfect frame for competitive races for district attorney general and juvenile court judge as the main events.

26. Signs, Space Occupy Final Weeks of Elections - Monday, July 28, 2014

In the closing weeks of the summer campaign to the Aug. 7 election day, the political struggle has come to the place all hard-fought campaigns ultimately come at this point – signs and space.

27. Early Voting Draws 673 in First Weekend - Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Democratic political leaders and candidates put a lot of emphasis this past weekend on a strong start to the early voting period in advance of the Aug. 7 elections.

The early voting period opened Friday, July 18, with three Tennessee Supreme Court justices in town as well to campaign for retention in their nonpartisan races at the bottom of the ballot.

28. Joe Brown Renews Weirich Allegations - Tuesday, July 8, 2014

After a week in which his campaign for Shelby County district attorney general took heavy criticism from numerous political fronts, including his own party, Joe Brown said he has no regrets about alleging Republican incumbent District Attorney General Amy Weirich is gay.

29. Sheriff’s Race Reflects Different Law Enforcement Cultures - Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Bennie Cobb remembers how he got his first job in the local criminal justice system.

It was 1980, and Cobb – then 19 years old – went to apply for a job at the old City Jail.

30. Chism Picnic Reflects Summer Campaign Tone - Tuesday, June 24, 2014

From the stage at County Commissioner Sidney Chism’s annual political picnic Saturday, June 21, you could almost see the Aug. 7 election day.

31. Both Parties Launch General Election Efforts - Tuesday, May 13, 2014

On a Saturday afternoon with a crowded calendar of political events, state Rep. G.A. Hardaway invited the winners and losers from the May Democratic county primaries and local Democrats who are on the August ballot to stand together at an airport-area meeting room of about 100 people.

32. August’s ‘Big Ballot’ Awaits County’s Voters - Wednesday, May 7, 2014

With the unofficial results in the Shelby County primary elections in, get ready for the “big ballot.”

The candidates who won the Democratic and Republican primaries in Tuesday’s elections advance to the August ballot where they will join a much larger group of candidates and races that once every eight years produce the largest ballot of any election cycle in Shelby County politics.

33. Primary Choices - Tuesday, May 6, 2014

Shelby County voters will begin the process Tuesday, May 6, of electing a majority of new members to a Shelby County Commission that will also change to a set of 13 single-member districts when the winners take office on Sept. 1.

34. Oldham Catches Criticism for County’s Rape Kit Backlog - Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Shelby County Sheriff Bill Oldham took fire at a weekend political forum over his department’s backlog of 300 untested rape kits, which Oldham revealed during budget hearings before the Shelby County Commission earlier in the week.

35. Early Voting Opens in County Primaries - Wednesday, April 16, 2014

Shelby County voters begin deciding Wednesday, April 16, who holds 11 countywide offices, including Shelby County mayor and district attorney general, as well as 13 seats on the Shelby County Commission drawn with new single-member district lines.

36. Brown Contempt Jailing Maps Political Challenge - Wednesday, March 26, 2014

The arrest of the Democratic nominee for Shelby County district attorney general Monday, March 24, is the best indication yet of the tumult within the local Democratic Party as it attempts to win countywide offices four years after losing every race to Republicans.

37. Shelby County Party Heads Look Ahead to Primaries - Tuesday, March 11, 2014

As Shelby County Democrats try to improve on losing every countywide office to Republicans in the 2010 county elections, party leaders are also warning political figures who identify as Democrats not to cross party lines.

38. Criminal Justice Issues Likely to Dominate Races - Monday, February 24, 2014

Expect to hear a lot between now and August about how the local criminal justice system does or does not work.

With Thursday’s filing deadline for candidates in the May 6 county primaries, two races for offices that are part of the system advanced to the August ballot.

39. Roland ReElected At Filing Deadline, Two Countywide Races Set For August - Friday, February 21, 2014

One of the six Shelby County Commission incumbents seeking re-election this year was effectively elected to a new four-year term in a new district with the noon Thursday, Feb. 20, filing deadline for candidates in the May county primaries.

40. Democratic Commission Majority Could Be Safe in Elections - Friday, February 14, 2014

With a week to the filing deadline for candidates in the May 6 Shelby County primary elections, it looks as if Democrats will retain their seven-member majority on the Shelby County Commission.

The commission switches to a set of 13 single-member districts with the 2014 elections instead of the current structure of one single-member district and four districts each represented by three commissioners.

41. Fields Begin to Gel for May and August Ballots - Friday, February 7, 2014

With two weeks to the filing deadline for candidates in the May Shelby County primary elections and two months to the deadline for those in the August state and federal primaries and county nonpartisan elections, the fields have solidified enough that some political players are weighing their prospects for a late entry before the filing deadlines.

42. County Commission Expected to Fill Vacancy - Monday, January 13, 2014

The Shelby County Commission starts with a dozen members at the first meeting of 2014. But it should be back up to the full 13 members by the end of the Monday, Jan. 13, session.

The commission meets at 1:30 p.m. at the Vasco Smith County Administration Building. Follow the meeting @tdnpols, www.twitter.com/tdnpols.

43. 15 Vie for County Commission Seat - Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Shelby County Commissioners will interview a group of 15 citizens Wednesday, Jan. 8, who want to become the newest member of the elected body.

The committee session interviews come before the full commission is to vote Monday, Jan. 13, on a replacement for Commissioner Wyatt Bunker.

44. Ford Name Plays Into Election Victory - Thursday, May 6, 2010

It didn’t work for Myron Lowery in last year’s special election for Memphis mayor.

But Joe Ford won the Democratic nomination for Shelby County mayor this week by running from the office.

45. Ford Wins Democratic Mayoral Primary - Wednesday, May 5, 2010
 

Interim County Mayor Joe Ford became the Democratic nominee for mayor in the August county general elections Tuesday night.

And the August sheriff’s race will be a contest between Democrat Randy Wade and Republican Randy Wade.

All three were among the winners in Tuesday’s low turnout county primaries.

Approximately ten percent of Shelby County’s nearly 600,000 voters cast ballots in early voting and election day polling.

Ford, who was appointed interim mayor in December, beat County Commissioner Deidre Malone and General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson in the Democratic primary. He will face Republican Mark Luttrell who had only token opposition in the Republican primary from perennial contender Ernie Lunati.

Luttrell has raised more money than all three of the Democratic primary contenders combined and began running television ads in the last week runup to election day.

The final unofficial totals in the Democratic mayoral primary are:

Ford 20,360 57%

Malone 12,916 37%

Jackson 2,168 6%

The pair of primaries for Sheriff featured eight candidates, seven of whom either currently work for the sheriff’s department or are past employees. Only Reginald French, in the Democratic primary was not a former or current department official.

Wade was the 2002 Democratic nominee, losing to Luttrell who is leaving as Sheriff after serving two terms. French was the Democratic nominee in the 2006 elections.

Oldham is Luttrell’s chief deputy, the number two position in the department. He is also a former director of the Memphis Police Department.

The final unofficials totals in the Republican primary are:

Bill Oldham 13,821 48%

Dale Lane 7,981 28%

Bobby Simmons 5,886 21%

James Coleman 943 3%

In the Democratic primary:

Randy Wade 22,643 67%

Reginald French 6,777 20%

Larry Hill 2,738 8%

Bennie Cobb 1,814 5%

Voters in the primary elections decided to return six Shelby County commissioners to new four year terms with Tuesday’s results. They also elected six new commissioners. The winner of the thirteenth commission seat will be decided on the August general election ballot in a contest between district 5 Democratic incumbent Steve Mulroy and Republican challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos. The winner of the match up will determine whether the commission remains majority Democrat or goes majority Republican.

Mulroy easily defeated Jennings Bernard in Tuesday’s Democratic primary.

Republican incumbent Mike Ritz ran unopposed as did new Democratic commissioner Walter Bailey.

In the remaining ten contests, the primaries decided who gets the seats since no one ran in the opposing party’s primary.

The most hotly contested contest among the commission races was for District 4 Position 1. Outgoing Probate Court Clerk Chris Thomas beat John Pellicciotti, appointed to a commission seat last year but running for a different position in the same district. Jim Bomprezzi, the former mayor of Lakeland, was the third contender in the contest.

The final unofficial totals in the Republican primary:

Thomas 7,631 52%

Pellicciotti 4,871 33%

Bomprezzi 2,298 15%

In position 2 of the same district incumbent Republican Wyatt Bunker easily overcame two challengers with former Lakeland alderman John Wilkerson finishing second and Ron Fittes finishing third.

Millington businessman Terry Roland claimed the third position in the district that takes in all six of Shelby County’s suburban towns and cities.

Roland beat George Chism to take the seat Pellicciotti was appointed to but opted not to run for in deference to Roland.

Heidi Shafer, an aide to outgoing County Commissioner George Flinn, claimed Flinn’s District 1 Position 2 seat over Albert Maduska.in the GOP primary.

District 1 incumbent Republican Mike Carpenter easily beat businessman Joe Baier.

In the Democratic commission primaries, Melvin Burgess claimed Malone’s District 2 Position 3 seat in a field of six contenders. His closest contender was Reginald Milton. Burgess, a city school system audit manager, had run for the seat before. He brought in 54 percent of the vote.

The other hard fought Democratic commission primary saw Justin Ford, son of the interim mayor, claim his father’s District 3 Position 3 seat.

Ford beat Edith Moore, a retired IBM executive, whom the commission appointed to the seat after the elder Ford became mayor.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Ford 7,342 66%

Moore 3,822 34%

Democratic incumbent commissioners Henri Brooks, Sidney Chism and James Harvey were all re-elected over primary challengers.

The county-wide primaries for seven clerk’s positions saw the return of former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican 16 years after Republican challenger Bill Key took her job. Johnican decisively beat Ralph White and Vernon Johnson in her first bid for office since the 1994 defeat. She will face Republican Kevin Key, the son of Bill Key in the August general election.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Johnican 16,381 51%

White 10,170 31%

Johnson 5,954 18%

Former Juvenile Court Clerk Shep Wilbun easily won the Democratic primary with 76 percent of the vote to face Republican Joy Touliatos in August for the office being vacated by Republican Steve Stamson. Touliatos was unopposed in the primary.

Democrat Coleman Thompson is back for another go at incumbent Republican Register Tom Leatherwood.

Aside from Leatherwood, Jimmy Moore is the only other of the seven clerks seeking re-election. Moore ran unopposed in the GOP primary. He will face Democrat Ricky Dixon in August.

Trustee Regina Newman was appointed to her office following the death last year of Paul Mattila. Newman easily overcame M LaTroy Williams in Tuesday’s Democratic primary. She will face David Lenoir, who beat former Shelby County Commissioner John Willingham in the Republican contest.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Lenoir 15,922 58%

Willingham 11,569 42%

The other six candidate field on the ballot was in the Democratic primary for Probate Court Clerk. Sondra Becton posted impressive vote totals over her rivals, bringing in 35 percent of the vote with Peggy Dobbins her closest rival. Becton, who is making her fourth bid for the office, will face Republican Paul Boyd, who ran unopposed in his primary.

The final unofficial vote totals are:

Becton 10,929 36%

Dobbins 5,366 18%

Annita Hamilton 4,848 16%

Clay Perry 3,549 12%

Danny Kail 3,120 11%

Karen Tyler 2,782 9%

The closest contest of the evening was in the Democratic primary for County Clerk. Wrestling promoter and television personality Corey Maclin won his political debut by less than 1,400 votes over Charlotte Draper and LaKeith Miller. He will face Republican Wayne Mashburn who beat Steve Moore in the companion primary.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 5 election day begins July 16. The August ballot will also feature state and federal primary elections including the statewide primaries for governor and the primaries for all nine of the state’s Congressional districts.

46. Sheriff's Race Attracts Hard-Boiled Veterans - Monday, April 19, 2010

Most of the Democratic and Republican candidates for Shelby County sheriff gathered last month in the office of outgoing Sheriff Mark Luttrell.

47. Candidate Filing List -- The Final Version - Friday, February 19, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

48. UPDATE: Mayor's Race Grows At Filing Deadline - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Shelby County Sheriff Mark Luttrell appeared on his way to the Republican nomination for Shelby County mayor at Thursday’s noon filing deadline for candidates on the May 4 primary ballot.

Luttrell faces only token opposition from perennial candidate Ernie Lunati.

Meanwhile, the Democratic primary for mayor grew to three contenders as General Sessions Court Clerk Otis Jackson filed his qualifying petition just before the deadline. He joins interim County Mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County Commissioner Deidre Malone.

Luttrell ruled out a bid for Shelby County mayor last year (2009). But when Harold Byrd decided not to run in the Democratic primary, some local GOP leaders asked Luttrell to reconsider.

The result touched off a scramble of candidates from both parties for the open sheriff’s office. But before the noon deadline, the initial field of over a dozen possible contenders was narrowed to ten – six Democrats and four Republicans.

The other surprise at the filing deadline was the return of attorney Walter Bailey to the District 2 Position 1 seat he gave up in the 2006 elections. Bailey sought re-election then to another term despite a two term limit on commissioners. Bailey lost to J.W. Gibson who decided not to seek re-election. He also lost a court fight to overturn the term limits.

Bailey was the only candidate who had filed for the seat at the Thursday deadline.

Only one incumbent county commissioner – Republican Mike Ritz -- was effectively re-elected at the deadline because he had no opposition.

All but one of the eleven contested County Commission races will be decided with the May 4 primaries. The only general election battle for the August ballot is the district 5 contest between GOP challenger Dr. Rolando Toyos and whoever wins the May Democratic primary between incumbent Steve Mulroy and Jennings Bernard.

Former County Commissioner John Willingham also returned to the ballot among a field of Republican contenders in the primary for Shelby County Trustee.

And former Criminal Court Clerk Minerva Johnican joined the Democratic primary field for her old job. Incumbent Republican Bill Key pulled petition to seek re-election but did not file at the deadline.

Here is the list of races and contenders from The Shelby County Election Commission. All candidate have until noon Feb. 25 to withdraw from the ballot if they wish.

D-Democrat

R- Republican

I- Independent

Shelby County Mayor:

Deidre Malone (D)

Joe Ford (D)

Otis Jackson (D)

Mark Luttrell (R)

Ernest Lunati (R)

Leo Awgowhat (I)

Shelby County Sheriff:

James Coleman (R)

Bobby Simmons (R)

Bill Oldham (R)

Dale Lane (R)

Larry Hill (D)

Bennie Cobb (D)

Randy Wade (D)

James Bolden (D)

Elton Hymon (D)

Reginald French (D)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 1

Mike Ritz (R) (incumbent)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 2

Albert Maduska (R)

Heidi Shafer (R)

County Commission Dist 1 Pos 3

Mike Carpenter (R) (incumbent)

Joe Baire (R)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 1

Walter Bailey (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 2

Henri Brooks (D) (incumbent)

David Vinciarelli (D)

County Commission Dist 2 Pos 3

Eric Dunn (D)

Norma Lester (D)

Tina Dickerson (D)

Melvin Burgess (D)

Reginald Milton (D)

Freddie Thomas (D)

County Commission Dist 3 Pos 1

James Harvey (D) (incumbent)

James Catchings (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 2

Sidney Chism (D) (incumbent)

Andrew "Rome" Withers (D)

County Commission Dist. 3 Pos 3

Edith Moore  (D) (incumbent)

Justin Ford (D)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 1

Chris Thomas (R)

John Pellicciotti (R)

Jim Bomprezzi (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 2

Wyatt Bunker (R) (incumbent)

John Wilkerson (R)

Ron Fittes (R)

County Commission Dist 4 Pos 3

Terry Roland (R)

George Chism (R)

Edgar Babian (R)

County Commission Dist 5

Steve Mulroy (D) (incumbent)

Jennings Bernard (D)

Rolando Toyos (R)

Shelby County Clerk

Charlotte Draper (D)

Corey Maclin (D)

LaKeith Miller (D)

Wayne Mashburn (R)

Steve Moore (R)

Criminal Court Clerk

Vernon Johnson (D)

Minerva Johnican (D)

Ralph White (D)

Michael Porter (R)

Kevin Key (R)

Jerry Stamson (I)

Circuit Court Clerk

Jimmy Moore (R) (incumbent)

Steven Webster (D)

Carmichael Johnson (D)

Ricky W. Dixon (D)

Juvenile Court Clerk

Joy Touliatos (R)

Charles Marshall (D)

Sylvester Bradley (D)

Shep Wilbun (D)

Julia Roberson Wiseman (I)

Probate Court Clerk

Paul Boyd (R)

Sondra Becton (D)

Danny Kail (D)

Annita Sawyer Hamilton (D)

Peggy Dobbins (D)

Clay Perry (D)

Karen Tyler (D)

Shelby County Register

Tom Leatherwood (R) (incumbent)

Coleman Thompson (D)

Lady J. Swift (D)

Carlton Orange (D)

Shelby County Trustee

Regina Newman (D) (incumbent)

M. LaTroy Williams (D)

John Willingham (R)

Jeff Jacobs (R)

David Lenoir (R)

49. Surprises Possible as Primary Filing Deadline Nears - Thursday, February 18, 2010

Although today marks the filing deadline for the May 4 Shelby County primaries and independent candidates on the Aug. 5 county general election ballot, plenty of political drama remains.

In fact, the filing deadline is often just as important – and surprising – as election day.

50. Ford Expected to Run for County Mayor - Friday, February 5, 2010

After a tumultuous year of political upheaval in 2009, the 2010 campaign season has belatedly come to life.

Democrat Harold Byrd’s decision not to run for Shelby County mayor late last month and Republican Mark Luttrell’s decision this week to get in the race have shaken the political atmosphere out of its post-New Year doldrums.