Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery has entered the growing field of candidates vying to succeed Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris in the 2026 election.
Lowery, in his second term on the commission, has represented District 8 since his election in 2018. He is the fifth candidate to announce a bid for the position. Mayor Harris is serving his second and final term.
In addition to his political career, Lowery works as a managing director at FedEx. His experience also includes youth mentorship, educational initiatives, and leadership roles with civic organizations. He serves on the Board of Trustees for LeMoyne-Owen College and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Fire Museum of Memphis.
Lowery is the son of former Memphis City Council Chairman Myron Lowery.
Other candidates in the race include Memphis City Council member JB Smiley, Jr., local businessman JW Gibson, Shelby County Chief Administrative Officer Harold Collins, and Shelby County Property Tax Assessor Melvin Burgess.
Smiley, who ran for governor of Tennessee in 2022, finished second in the Democratic primary with 38.8% of the vote. Gibson ran for mayor of Memphis in 2023 but finished fifth with 2.5% of the vote in a crowded field. Collins, a former Memphis City Council member, also ran for Memphis mayor in 2015. Burgess, elected in 2022, will also see his term expire in 2026.
Lowery’s campaign announcement video can be viewed on YouTube here.
