Democratic candidates appear to be the clear choice of Shelby County voters heading into the fall. Overall, the party snagged 19 wins out of a total of 23 party contests during the Thursday, Aug. 6 general election.
Along with giving Democrats an iron grip of the direction of the county for the next few years, the results could also portend an off-year wave election.
The day’s biggest winner, office-wise at least, was mayor-elect Mickell Lowery. The second generation politician surged past Republican John DeBerry by a 2-1 margin. Lowery’s 85,000-plus votes were good enough for 66% of the vote. His opponent gathered just shy of 44,000 votes, or 33.9%
“In this position, you’re going to have a mayor that is going to be a partner with every mayor that’s in Shelby County. You have a strong partner for Mayor Paul Young. Because we have to do something to make sure we are tackling the poverty gap that’s in Shelby County,” said Lowery. “And for me that starts with early childhood education. We have to give them every opportunity to succeed. We’ve got to give them an early start as well.”
The victory speech was likely welcomed by early education advocates. In June, outgoing Mayor Lee Harris froze funding for the county’s “pre-k for all” program at 2026 levels. As a result , the endeavor could stall a few percentage points short of its goal. During the campaign, Lowery promised to revisit the issue if elected.
The 49-year-old FedEx executive was battled-tested by an expansive seven-candidate primary field. DeBerry was a last minute primary entry to allow the GOP to field a candidate. The erstwhile Democrat is a former advisor to Republican Gov. Bill Lee.
Many other Democratic candidates experienced similar margins of victory.
Shelby County Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner will move into a bigger office after eclipsing Republican co-worker Brad Less. The current second-in-command pulled in nearly 90,000 votes for almost 70% of the vote to succeed term-limited Sheriff Floyd Bonner. Less, meanwhile, will return to his post as the commander of the SCSO uniform patrol.
“When I came to this agency 24-years ago, I never imagined running for sheriff, let alone becoming the next sheriff,” said Buckner. “So when I think about my journey as a deputy over the last 24 years, and now to stand here and receive a badge from a sitting sheriff after 46-years, the first elected African American sheriff, this is a very special moment for me tonight.”
Buckner inherits a department saddled with long-term issues. Foremost is the Shelby County Jail at 201 Poplar. Along with the dilapidated state of the facility, the over 40 years old lockup is also overcrowded.
The main jail was originally built for a maximum head count of 2,400. However, between 2,500 and 2,900 inmates often sit behind its concrete and brick facade. Much of the increase is due to the ongoing Memphis Safe Task Force. Since September, the federal-state-local law enforcement operation has netted over 10,600 arrests. Many swept up in the crackdown have spent time at the facility.
Lowery and Buckner will be among the county stakeholders leading the conversation about a new jail. Last September, the former helped vote down a proposal that would have placed a new jail in North Memphis.
Both of their predecessors locked horns on an annual basis. Most of the disagreements occurred during budget seasons. In the past few negotiations, Bonner accused Harris of attempting to eliminate unfunded positions to get the mayor’s revenue-neutral budget proposals over the finish line.
This year, the Shelby County Commission was caught in the middle of another quarrel. After Bonner emerged victorious in circuit court in a lawsuit over unbudgeted overtime pay, the council was obligated to settle the 2026 budgetary matter. The original settlement amount of $18 million was eventually talked down to $4.93 million. Much of the OT costs were accrued in support of the Memphis Safe Task Force.
Lowery likely will hope for a more harmonious relationship with Buckner.
Fortunately, the incident will be water over the bridge for only a minority of the upcoming commission. Only five members return from the previous class. A total of seven members, including Lowery, will exit the commission on term limits. First term commissioner Britney Thornton will return to civilian life after losing in the Democratic primary for the Shelby County clerk.
The familiar faces from last term include current chairwoman Shante Avant, Charlie Caswell, Henri Brooks, Miska Clay Bibbs and Erika Sugarmon. All are Democrats. They will be joined by Will Richardson, Karen Streeter, Lashanta Rudd, and Amber Huett-Garcia. Together, they will wield a commanding 9-4 majority.
All five Republicans currently on the commission are leaving via term limits. Mark Billingsley returns to the commission after a four-year layoff. He previously served from 2014-2022. The nonprofit executive will be joined by newcomers Rhonda O’Dell, Derek Mills and Michele Dial.
They will be the only elected Republicans in the Shelby County government.
Speaking of the county clerk race, Democratic Party nominee LaSonya Hall easily topped Republican selection Tina Montgomery 66% to 33.9%. Hall, a current appointee of Mayor Harris, will succeed Wanda Halbert. The outgoing clerk has faced repeated attempts to remove her from office during her tenure.
The winners will be sworn into office on September 1.
