Barring any changes, the ballot has been set for the 2026 primary contests in May. Unsurprisingly, Democrats have outpaced their Republican counterparts in candidate recruitment. A total of 122 Democratic candidates filed petitions to vie for 35 offices, compared to 19 certified GOP hopefuls.
The disparity has already benefited a few officeholders. Shelby County Commissioners Miska Clay Bibbs and Charlie Caswell have secured victories by running unopposed in both the Democratic primary and the general election in August. They represent District 11 and District 6, respectively.
The incumbents are joined by former commissioner Mark Billingsley, who will return to the District 4 office after no candidates filed for the Republican primary. It was one of two commission races in which Democrats failed to field a candidate. The other is District 2.
Nevertheless, 10 commission seats remain to be decided.
Other incumbents attempting to retain their offices are Chairwoman Shante Avant of District 5, Erika Sugarmon of District 12 and Henri Brooks of District 7. Avant faces Memphis Police Department Lt. Milton Bonds Jr., while Sugarmon is challenged by Youth Villages communications director Javonte Porter. Five candidates are running against Brooks in the primary. The winner will face Gerald Green, who is running unopposed in the Republican primary.
Both parties have attracted candidates for the open races in Districts 1, 3, 7, 8 and 13. Each was previously led by a term-limited officeholder.
One is Mickell Lowery, who is attempting to jump from his District 8 commission seat to the Shelby County mayor’s office. The second-generation politician is joined by 10 other candidates. Perhaps his stiffest challenge will come from Memphis City Council member JB Smiley, who has outraised Lowery in campaign funding by a $537,000-to-$487,000 margin. As of late January, the pair remain the top fundraisers. They are not the only current officeholders seeking higher office.
Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn, Shelby County Property Assessor Melvin Burgess, Shelby County Chief Administrative Officer Harold Collins and former Memphis-Shelby County Schools Superintendent Marie Feagins are among the seven Democrats entered in the primary. Feagins recently survived a local Democratic Party attempt to remove her from the ballot as one of the party’s candidates. However, state party leaders opted to let her remain on the slate.
Political newcomer Rusty Qualls rounds out the list. It is also Feagins’ first run for office.
Former Tennessee Rep. John DeBerry and former Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Joe Brown, now a television personality, are the Republican primary candidates.
Another closely watched race is the contest to succeed Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, who is term-limited. Seven Democrats — including former candidates and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Sgts. Keisha Scott and Donald Taylor — have gathered enough signatures. Many are current or former law enforcement officers, including Bonner’s chief deputy, Anthony Buckner, who recently opened a campaign office. The two Republican primary candidates are also current law enforcement officers.
Several candidates pulled petitions in the race to succeed term-limited Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert — including Halbert. A lightning rod for controversy during her two terms, Halbert submitted petitions for her current office, as well as for county trustee and criminal court clerk. In the end, her name tops the list of five contenders to replace Kuhn in criminal court.
Shelby County Commissioner Michael Whaley leads a field of five Democratic candidates in the race to replace Regina Newman as trustee. Other administrative offices up for grabs include property assessor, juvenile court clerk, probate court clerk and register of deeds.
Circuit Court Clerk Jamita Swearingen faces the same fortunate circumstance as Clay Bibbs and Caswell. The incumbent has no primary or general election opponent.
Finally, the Memphis-Shelby County School Board election calendar has returned to its regular schedule after a circuit court judge earlier this month declared unlawful a resolution aligning its elections with the commission.
As a result, only six of the 13 seats appear on the 2026 primary ballot. They include Districts 1, 3, 5, 6, 8 and 9. Current MSCS board Vice Chair Joyce Dorse Coleman is the only incumbent on the ballot. She faces four primary opponents. No Republican candidates appear on the ballot for the MSCS board races. Two independent candidates are on the slate.
