State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

2. Harris Elected County Mayor, Bonner as Sheriff - Friday, August 3, 2018

State Sen. Lee Harris easily beat County Trustee David Lenoir to become the next Shelby County mayor in the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general election, leading a Democratic resurgence in county politics.

3. Primaries For Governor Move to Contentious End - Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Randy Boyd has heard the saying about a race for elected office being a marathon and not a sprint. And he agrees. The Republican contender for Tennessee governor is also a marathon runner who has run 36 of the races.

4. Last Word: Early Voting's Strong Finish, School Moves and City Hall Crackdown - Monday, July 30, 2018

Most of the major contenders for Tennessee Governor – Democratic and Republican – were in Shelby County over the weekend in which early voting ended and the campaigns now adjust their last minute efforts to the gap between early voting and election day on Thursday.

5. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Deadline - Monday, April 9, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

6. Three Incumbents Unopposed at August Primary Ballot Filing Deadline - Friday, April 6, 2018

Three incumbent Democratic state House members in the Shelby County delegation to the Tennessee Legislature were effectively re-elected Thursday, April 5, at the noon deadline for candidates in the Aug. 2 state and federal primaries to file their qualifying petitions.

7. Heidi Shafer Claims Commission Chairmanship With Consistency - Thursday, August 3, 2017

Heidi Shafer was first elected to the Shelby County Commission in 2010. But when she is talking about the way county government works, she often goes further back than that to her experience as an aide to her predecessor on the commission, Dr. George Flinn.

8. Presidential Election Tops Busy Year for Memphis Voters - Friday, December 30, 2016

2016 was an eventful election year in Shelby County, ending with the most popular voting cycle in Shelby County politics: the U.S. presidential general election in November. Slightly more than 60 percent of the county’s voters cast a ballot either during early voting in October or on the Nov. 8 Election Day.

9. Kustoff Victory Caps TV, Outsider Heavy Congressional Campaign - Monday, August 8, 2016

Former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff claimed the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district Thursday, Aug. 4, in a 15-county contest in which the eastern parts of Shelby County played a decisive role.

10. Kustoff Claims 8th GOP Primary, Todd Upset by Lovell, Jenkins Over Newsom - Friday, August 5, 2016

Former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff claimed the Republican nomination for Tennessee’s 8th Congressional district Thursday, Aug. 4, in a 15-county contest in which the eastern parts of Shelby County played a decisive role.

11. Funds Rolling In for 8th Congressional District Race - Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Five of the six major contenders in the Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District raised a total of $1.8 million from Jan. 1 to June 30 going into the critical last month of the campaign.

12. Scramble in the 8th District - Saturday, July 9, 2016

You might call it the calm before the storm. The Aug. 4 election, for which early voting starts July 15, is calmer than usual for the election cycle before a November presidential general election – the only election that more than half of Shelby County voters regularly show up for.

13. 8th District Republican Contenders Highlight Differences - Friday, June 24, 2016

Most of the 13 contenders in the August Republican primary in the 8th Congressional District agree on a lot. They think the country is going in the wrong direction. They believe the policies of a Democratic president are a factor in that, and they support Donald Trump as the Republican Party’s presidential nominee.

14. Bankers Association Hosting Free Political Forum June 14 - Saturday, June 11, 2016

The Mortgage Bankers Association of Memphis will host a free political forum on June 14 at the Agricenter International Amphitheater.

The purpose of the event is to introduce the public to candidates running for office in the 8th Congressional District so individuals can learn more about each candidate’s position on various issues.

15. Bankers Association Hosting Free Political Forum June 14 - Friday, June 10, 2016

The Mortgage Bankers Association of Memphis will host a free political forum on June 14 at the Agricenter International Amphitheater.

The purpose of the event is to introduce the public to candidates running for office in the 8th Congressional District so individuals can learn more about each candidate’s position on various issues.

16. Kustoff Opens Congressional Bid With 15 Stops - Wednesday, April 13, 2016

Former U.S. Attorney David Kustoff began his campaign for Congress Monday, April 11, with stops in Tipton County and Fayette County as well as East Memphis.

17. August Primaries Feature Intra-Party Challenges - Monday, April 11, 2016

Two years after a disastrous slate of races for countywide offices, there is a move among younger Democratic partisans in Memphis to shake up the Democrats who represent the city in the Tennessee Legislature.

18. 8th Congressional District Primaries Draw 22 Contenders, 13 Republican - Friday, April 8, 2016

The Republican primary race to fill the 8th District Congressional seat Republican incumbent Stephen Fincher is giving up drew a field of 13 contenders – seven from Shelby County and four from Jackson, Tennessee – at the Thursday, April 7, noon filing deadline for the Aug. 4 ballot.

19. Basar Out in 8th District Race, Luttrell Pulls Petition, Cohen Could Have Easy Ride - Thursday, March 31, 2016

Shelby County Commissioner Steve Basar has called off his plan to run in the crowded Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District, but Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell has pulled his petition to join the same crowded field.

20. Luttrell Declares for Congressional Bid - Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell announced Monday, Feb. 29, that he will be a candidate in the August Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District.

21. Luttrell Could Impact 2 Races - Thursday, February 25, 2016

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell made a few stops between his first thought this month that he might want to run for Congress and going public with those thoughts Tuesday, Feb. 23.

22. Luttrell Weighing Congressional Bid - Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell is considering a run for Congress and he expects to make his decision in the next week.

23. Senators Say Court Vacancy Is Next President’s Job - Tuesday, February 23, 2016

U.S. Sens. Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker told Shelby County Republicans over the weekend that they favor the next president appointing the successor to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.

24. Roland Passes on 8th District Congressional Bid - Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Shelby County Commission chairman Terry Roland will not be running in the Republican primary for the 8th Congressional District in August.

25. Contenders Emerge for Fincher’s Seat - Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The line for the 8th Congressional District seat began forming within half an hour of incumbent Stephen Fincher’s announcement Monday, Feb. 1, that he would not seek re-election in the August primaries.

26. Stephen Fincher Won't Seek Re-Election - Tuesday, February 2, 2016

U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher announced Monday, Feb. 1, that he will not run for re-election in Tennessee’s 8th Congressional District.

The seventh-generation agribusiness leader from Frog Jump, Tenn., said in an email that he “never intended to become a career politician.”

27. Wharton’s Hybrid Pension Falls in Council - Thursday, November 20, 2014

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.’s hybrid pension proposal, the second of two parts of his overhaul of city employee benefits, was voted down Tuesday, Nov. 18, by the Memphis City Council in a bid by some on the council to end “uncertainty” among city employees.

28. Voters Approve Wine, Amendments - Thursday, November 6, 2014

Shelby County citizens voted 2-to-1 Tuesday, Nov. 4, against a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that gives the Tennessee Legislature the power to regulate abortion, including in cases of rape or incest.

29. Voters Approve Wine, Constitutional Amendments - Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Shelby County citizens voted 2-to-1 Tuesday, Nov. 4, against a proposed amendment to the Tennessee Constitution that gives the Tennessee Legislature the power to regulate abortion, including in cases of rape or incest.

30. Shelby Early Vote Shows "No" Carry On Abortion Amendment - Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Shelby County’s early vote totals show a defeat for the amendment to the Tennessee Constitution involving abortion and passage of the other three amendments.

The vote count for Shelby County only during the early voting period in advance of the Tuesday, Nov. 4, election day show:

31. Amendments, Wine Dominate Election Day - Tuesday, November 4, 2014

The last of 2014’s three elections promises to be defined just as much by the questions on the ballot as it is by the choices among candidates.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 4, across Tennessee, with polls open in Shelby County from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

32. Early Vote Turnout Lags Behind 2010 - Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Early voting turnout in advance of the Nov. 4 Election Day was running about 17,000 voters behind the early vote turnout four years ago for the same election cycle through the second and final weekend in the early voting period.

33. Some Council Members Feel Dissed By Wharton - Thursday, October 9, 2014

It was a phrase guaranteed to put more diss in the dysfunction between the Memphis City Council and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr.

And some on the council had plenty to say Tuesday, Oct. 7, about the weekend press release from Wharton announcing changes in the city’s health insurance plan starting next year.

34. Council Could Close Door on Alternative Health Plans - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Memphis City Council members could put to rest alternatives to the health care insurance benefits cuts they approved in June when they meet Tuesday, Sept. 16.

The question is whether they would do that with some kind of vote or indication through discussion or whether they will simply let the June decision stand and take no further votes.

35. Sara Kyle Claims Democratic Senate Nomination - Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Tennessee Democratic Party chairman Roy Herron came to Memphis Monday, Sept. 8, armed with 77 Bible verses on unity to use as Shelby County Democrats gathered to pick their nominee in a November special general election for state Senate District 30.

36. Kyle Gets Democratic State Senate Nod - Tuesday, September 9, 2014

Shelby County Democratic Party leaders chose former Public Service Commissioner and Tennessee Regulatory Authority Commission Sara Kyle Monday, Sept. 8, as the Democratic nominee for State Senate District 30.

37. Democrats Choose State Senate Nominee - Monday, September 8, 2014

When Shelby County Democratic Party leaders gather Monday, Sept. 8, to pick their party’s nominee in the November special general election for state Senate District 30, it will also be an indication of how deep the wounds run from the party’s disastrous August election outing.

38. Flinn Gets Republican State Senate Nomination - Friday, September 5, 2014

Fresh from running in the August U.S. Senate Republican primary, George Flinn is back on the Nov. 4 ballot as the Republican nominee in the special general election for state Senate District 30.

39. 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.

40. 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.

41. Alexander Looks to Fend Off Tennessee GOP Challengers - Thursday, August 7, 2014

LAWRENCEBURG, Tenn. (AP) – After losing his first bid for Tennessee governor 40 years ago, Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander shed his blue suit and buttoned-up appearance for a plaid shirt, hiking boots and a 1,000-mile walk around the state.

42. Haslam, Alexander Look to Boost Republican Turnout - Wednesday, August 6, 2014

U.S. Rep. Stephen Fincher remembers the first time that he talked with U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.

Fincher had been elected to Congress long enough to have made several votes after a 2008 campaign in which he touted his conservative values and stances. And in the process, Fincher admitted to Alexander that he had been critical of Alexander’s voting record during the campaign.

43. Republicans Rally In Bartlett - Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam told a group of several hundred Republicans in Bartlett Monday, Aug. 4, that he would like to see a statewide turnout in the August Republican primaries of 750,000.

Haslam and U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander have been on a statewide bus tour since last week to pump up overall Republican turnout even as they face opposition in the GOP primaries for governor and the U.S. Senate. The goal is to also boost the turnout for Republican candidates in local general election races on the ballot.

44. ‘Big Ballot’ Moves to Early Voting Friday - Friday, July 18, 2014

Voters begin making their decisions Friday, July 18, on the longest ballot of any election cycle in Shelby County politics.

Early voting in advance of the Aug. 7 election day begins Friday at the Shelby County Election Commission’s Downtown offices, 157 Poplar Ave., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

45. Alexander Raises More Than $900,000, Launches New Ad - Thursday, July 3, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander has raised more than $900,000 in the second quarter and has more than $3.4 million on hand in the final weeks before the primary.

Alexander's campaign is also launching a new television ad stressing the senator's opposition to President Barack Obama's health care law.

46. Lamar Alexander Shows Little Interest in Debates - Tuesday, July 1, 2014

NASHVILLE (AP) – Lamar Alexander showed little interest Monday in taking up challenger Joe Carr's call for a debate in advance of the Republican Senate primary in August.

47. U.S. Senate Primaries Feature Different Realities - Tuesday, June 3, 2014

The statewide primary races for U.S. Senate on the August ballot feature the longest and best-known political back story in Tennessee politics and competing realities about what it takes for Democrats to end their shutout in statewide offices.

48. 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.

49. Haslam Unveils $1.5B Transportation Plan - Saturday, April 12, 2014

Gov. Bill Haslam and Transportation Commissioner John Schroer have released the state’s three-year, $1.5 billion transportation program.

The Haslam administration said the plan unveiled Thursday takes a conservative approach because of uncertainty over future federal transit funding. It contains no money to pay for early engineering work on new projects.

50. Tate Uncontested in Tenn. Senate Race - Saturday, April 12, 2014

The day after the filing deadline for the August state and federal primaries, Democratic state Sen. Reginald Tate became an uncontested incumbent, winning another four-year term representing District 33.

51. Alexander has $3.1 Million for Senate Campaign - Monday, April 7, 2014

Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander raised $614,000 in the first quarter, leaving him with $3.1 million on hand for his bid for a third term.

Alexander said he received formal notification on Thursday that he has qualified for the Aug. 7 primary. His eight opponents in the GOP nomination contest include state Rep. Joe Carr of Murfreesboro and former Shelby County Commissioner George Flinn.

52. Tate Uncontested in Tennessee Senate Race - Monday, April 7, 2014

The day after the filing deadline for the August state and federal primaries, Democratic state Sen. Reginald Tate became an uncontested incumbent, winning another four-year term representing District 33.

53. Harris Files Ford Challenge at Deadline - Thursday, April 3, 2014

Memphis City Council member Lee Harris is challenging Democratic state Sen. Ophelia Ford in the August primary for District 29, the Senate seat held by a member of the Ford family since 1975.

54. Council Displeased With Budget Ideas - Thursday, April 3, 2014

This isn’t going to be pretty. Two weeks before Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. takes a budget proposal to the Memphis City Council, council members reacted angrily to how Wharton’s administration set the stage for its definitive recommendations.

55. Council Unhappy With Budget Plans So Far - Wednesday, April 2, 2014

The administration of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. got a rough reception at the Tuesday, April 1, Memphis City Council session as it set the stage for Wharton’s budget proposal to come in two weeks.

56. Police, Fire Directors Discuss Budget With Council - Thursday, February 6, 2014

Memphis City Council members got deeper Tuesday, Feb. 4, into the specifics of Memphis Police and Fire Department budget decisions.

But they didn’t get a clearer picture of what the direction forward will be as they and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. prepare to make some hard decisions about public safety in dealing with the city’s unfunded pension liability.

57. Council Hears More on Police and Fire Budget Decisions - Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Memphis City Council member got deeper Tuesday, Feb. 4, into the specifics of Memphis Police and Fire Department budget decisions.

But they didn’t get a clearer picture of what the direction forward will be as they and Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. prepare to make some hard decisions about public safety in dealing with the city’s unfunded pension liability.

58. Little Outlines Options for City’s Pension Liability - Thursday, January 9, 2014

Changing retirement and health care benefits for city of Memphis employees going forward is a given, said city Chief Administrative Officer George Little this week.

59. City Council Questions Pension Plan - Thursday, December 19, 2013

Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. plans to ask the Memphis City Council sometime in February or March to close the city’s defined benefits pension plan to new hires and those city employees with less than 10 years of service.

60. Council Opens Unfunded Liability Plan Talks With Questions - Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Memphis City Council members again rejected Tuesday, Dec. 17, an increase in the city’s monthly solid waste fee and affirmed a 2.1 percent hike in the Memphis Light Gas and Water Division water rate hike.

61. City Pension Crisis Meets Sanitation Overhaul - Thursday, October 3, 2013

The city’s looming pension liability crisis and the proposed solution to it intersected Tuesday, Oct. 1, with a plan to overhaul city sanitation services and, in the process, provide a pension supplement to sanitation workers.

62. Council Gives Early Approval to Solid Waste Fee - Thursday, September 5, 2013

The Memphis City Council sent a proposed lease of Handy Park on Beale Street back to committee Tuesday, Sept. 3, for more discussion about the details.

And the council approved on the first of three readings a restoration of the city’s solid waste fee to $25.05 a month. But there were conflicting explanations about which part of an overhaul of sanitation services the restoration of the fee is supposed to fund.

63. Budget Reset Talks Lead to Fresh Drama - Thursday, June 6, 2013

The Memphis City Hall budget drama turned from a budget reset into a political thicket Tuesday, June 4, as Memphis City Council members debated getting involved in the details of changing employee and retiree benefits.

64. Critical State Report Remakes City Budget - Wednesday, May 22, 2013

An April report from the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury critical of city finances threw the budget season at City Hall into remake mode Tuesday, May 21.

The bottom line for the budget is a remediation plan that will increase the city’s long term debt, force the city to use its reserves, and take reserves below the 10 percent level considered key with bond-rating agencies.

65. State Delays Auto Inspection Takeover - Thursday, March 7, 2013

The state of Tennessee has told the city of Memphis it will probably take two years for it to take over auto inspection duties in Shelby County.

But city funding for the auto inspection stations and employees runs out when the current fiscal year does, at the end of June.

66. Council Preps for Late Summer Sales Tax Hike Referendum - Wednesday, January 23, 2013

A referendum on a half percent city sales tax hike to fund a city pre kindergarten expansion and roll back the city property tax rate by 20 cents would happen in August or September instead of May.

67. Council Reconsiders Golf Course Closings - Thursday, December 6, 2012

Four city golf courses were scheduled to close for the winter season on Dec. 1, with one of the four – Whitehaven – to close permanently.

That was the decision the Memphis City Council made last spring as it set the city budget for the fiscal year that began July 1.

68. Election Follows Script in County - Thursday, November 8, 2012

In Shelby County and Tennessee the presidential race stuck to the script both national campaigns expected.

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County and Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state and its 11 electoral votes.

69. Obama Carries Shelby, Cohen Over Flinn and Two Tax Hikes Defeated - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

President Barack Obama carried Shelby County in unofficial Nov. 6 election returns as his Republican challenger Mitt Romney took the state’s 11 electoral votes.

Voter turnout in the most popular election cycle among Shelby County voters was 61.9 percent, about the same percentage as four years ago. But the 371,256 voters is fewer than 2008 when more than 400,000 Shelby County voters cast ballots. The percentage is about the same because there are fewer registered voters in Shelby County than there were four years ago after a purge by election officials.

70. Shelby Early Vote Shows Cohen Winning - Two Tax Questions Losing - Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Early vote totals from Shelby County were released just before 10 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 6, after the vote count was delayed in part by long lines of voters waiting to vote at the 7 p.m. closing of polls.

71. County’s Early Vote Total: 38.9 Percent - Monday, November 5, 2012

Nearly 40 percent of Shelby County’s 598,803 voters cast ballots during the early voting period that ended Thursday, Nov. 1.

But the 232,690 early voters – which accounts for 38.9 percent of the total number of registered voters – is fewer than four years ago when 254,362 early votes were cast.

72. Cohen, Flinn Sparring Heats Up as Election Nears - Monday, October 29, 2012

It’s been an election year in Shelby County dominated by something other than candidates in a local political arena where personality and name recognition usually go far.

There have been significant problems with the accuracy of the vote count, presidential campaigns only momentarily interested in the local Republican and Democratic bases and the politics of tax increases and municipal school districts.

73. School Board Majority Backs Sales Tax Hike - Friday, October 26, 2012

Twelve of the 23 countywide school board members have signed a letter urging voters to approve a half-cent countywide sales tax hike in the Nov. 6 elections.

The letter dated Thursday, Oct. 25, refers to using half of the estimated revenue from the extra half cent for an expansion of pre-kindergarten. But it mentions pre-k as one of several possible uses for the $30 million that would go to local education under state law.

74. Shelby County’s Early Vote Count Leads State - Thursday, October 25, 2012

Early voter turnout in Shelby County is lagging behind the pace set four years ago during the last presidential general election.

But the turnout is the largest by county in the state so far.

75. Gay, Transgender City Workers Protected From Discrimination - Thursday, October 18, 2012

At the end of a long night at City Hall with a relatively short agenda, Shelby County Commissioner Sidney Chism told Memphis City Council members that their meetings looked like more “fun” than the commission’s meetings.

76. Race to the Finish - Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Republican state Sen. Brian Kelsey walked into the storefront at the Carrefour shopping center earlier this month and liked what he saw of the local effort for the Romney-Ryan presidential ticket.

77. Flinn’s Challenge - Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Dr. George Flinn has been running for office for 10 years now and running in a style that continues to evolve.

78. Flinn-Cohen Race Gets Minor Jolt - Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The general election campaign in the 9th Congressional District sparked to life Monday, Sept. 24, with a brief encounter between incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and a team from the campaign of Republican challenger George Flinn.

79. Watershed Day - Monday, August 6, 2012

The unofficial vote totals are in from Thursday’s county general and state and federal primary elections in Shelby County, but no one involved believed the last cartridge read at the Shelby County Election Commission would be the last word on the results.

80. Muni Schools Questions Pass, Cohen Wins Big - Friday, August 3, 2012

Voters in each of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County approved establishing municipal school districts in the unofficial results of the Thursday, Aug. 2, county general and state and federal primary elections.

81. Muni Schools, Cohen, Weirich, Johnson, Stanton, Kyle Take Early Vote - Friday, August 3, 2012

Voters in each of the six suburban towns and cities in Shelby County were overwhelmingly approving the establishment of municipal school districts and a half cent sales tax hike to fund them in the first vote totals released Thursday, Aug. 2 by the Shelby County Election Commission.

82. Cohen Talks About Opponents, Schools, Race and His Political Past - Monday, July 23, 2012

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen is running for a fourth term in Congress starting with the Aug. 2 primary, in which he is being challenged by countywide school board member Tomeka Hart.

83. City Moves Closer to Cutting Auto Inspection Funding - Thursday, July 19, 2012

Two weeks after the Memphis City Council approved an either/or change to auto inspections against the advice of the city administration, the council took another step as Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. embraced the earlier change.

84. Cohen Keeps Focus on Bigger Picture - Monday, July 9, 2012

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, says he works well with Republicans in Congress but that most of the federal funding and help he has secured for the city comes from the Democratic-controlled White House.

85. Hart Seeks Debate With Rep. Cohen - Monday, June 18, 2012

Democratic candidate for the 9th Congressional District Tomeka Hart wants a debate with incumbent U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen. But Cohen’s campaign is not responding to the debate call a month before early voting begins in the Democratic congressional primary contest between the two.

86. Cohen Plans Rollout of Endorsements - Tuesday, June 5, 2012

There will be a Cohen ballot of political endorsements for the Aug. 2 and Nov. 6 elections.

U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Memphis, opened his campaign headquarters Saturday, June 2, with a pledge to not only campaign hard for re-election but to campaign on behalf of President Barack Obama and several local Democrats in county general election and state legislative races.

87. New District Lines Lead to New Races - Monday, April 9, 2012

“This time I waited to be sure,” Ian Randolph said just before the Thursday, April 5, deadline for candidates to file in the Aug. 2 elections.

88. Cohen-Hart in Congressional Race at Filing Deadline - Friday, April 6, 2012

The chairman of the countywide school board, Billy Orgel, was effectively elected to his District 7 school board seat without opposition at the Thursday, April 5, filing deadline for candidates on the Aug. 2 primary and general election ballot in Shelby County.

89. Tax Hike Thorny Issue for Council - Friday, March 9, 2012

To some at City Hall, the plan at the end of the 2011 budget season for city government is unfolding as it should. To others, nothing in the plan approved by the Memphis City Council has happened.

Still others aren’t sure whether a one-time, 18-cent city property tax hike is really one time or if it’s the second tax hike of its kind since last year.

90. Council Passes Amended City Bonus, Rejects Water Rate Hike - Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Memphis City Council members approved a $750 flat bonus for all full time city employees Tuesday, Dec. 6, and a flat bonus of $200 for part time city employees.

Just as the Shelby County Commission did Monday for county employees, the council departed from the mayoral administration’s plan for a bonus as a percentage of pay.

91. Wharton, Fullilove & Conrad Re-Elected -- Harris-Ford to Runoff - Friday, October 7, 2011
Memphis Mayor A C Wharton Jr. won a full four-year term of office as mayor Thursday, Oct. 6, two years after he claimed the mayor’s office in a special election.

And all 12 of the Memphis City Council members seeking re-election won new four year terms in the city election cycle, marking the largest return of incumbents to the 13-member council in the 43-year history of the mayor-council form of government.

92. Carpenter Reflects on Five-Year Run - Wednesday, October 5, 2011

As Memphis voters prepare to bring to an end another city campaign season, Shelby County Commissioner Mike Carpenter just ended a five-year run on the Shelby County Commission.

93. 4 Council Members - All 3 City Court Judges To Run Unopposed In Oct. Elections - Friday, July 22, 2011

Four incumbent Memphis City Council members and all three incumbent City Court Judges were effectively re-elected at the Thursday, July 21, noon deadline for candidates to file their qualifying petitions for the Oct. 6 Memphis ballot.

94. MCS Board Votes To Delay Aug. 8 School Start - Wednesday, July 20, 2011

The stakes got higher Tuesday evening, July 19, in the funding dispute between the city of Memphis and the Memphis City Schools system.

MCS board members voted 8-1 Tuesday to delay the Aug. 8 start of the school year until the city pays a disputed amount of money the school system says the city owes for the fiscal year that began July 1.

95. Conservative Radio Launches in Memphis - Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Two years before the next national election and with fervor for conservative activism, Memphis-based MPS Broadcasting Monday announced the launch of WMPS “The Point” simulcast on 87.7 FM and 1210 AM.

96. County Commission Approves UDC - Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Shelby County Commissioners this week approved a new Unified Development Code with no discussion. The combined city-county code passed on a unanimous vote on third and final reading.

Memphis City Council members were scheduled to take their final vote on the code Tuesday afternoon, which would make it a countywide set of rules for future development, both residential and commercial.

97. Flinn's Contributions Now $2.45M in 8th District - Thursday, July 22, 2010

JACKSON, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis radiologist and broadcaster George Flinn has given another $450,000 to his bid for the Republican nomination in the 8th Congressional District on top of the $2 million he spent on his campaign through the first half of the year.

98. Candidates Pour Own Money Into Congressional Races - Wednesday, July 21, 2010

NASHVILLE (AP) – Primary contests for each of Tennessee's three open congressional seats feature at least one candidate spending a hefty amount of their own money in efforts to secure the Republican nomination.

99. Campaign Calendar Crowded - Monday, June 21, 2010

Lt. Gov. and Republican contender for governor Ron Ramsey opened his Memphis campaign headquarters Friday with a call for grassroots conservative support in the Aug. 5 primary.

100. 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.