A replacement for former Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. is in the works after 10 hopefuls submitted applications to finish the remainder of the term during a brief Monday, Feb. 23, meeting.
Commissioners accepted Ford’s resignation on Feb. 9, following his guilty plea Feb. 2 to seven counts of federal tax evasion. Ford also is banned from running for office in the future as another condition of his plea agreement. The commission is currently functioning with 12 members.
The short-term District 9 successor is expected to be chosen by March 9. Interviews will take place early next month. The term ends in August. The deadline for applications was Feb. 20.
Two of the applicants — Roderick Blunt and Jonathan Lewis — also are running in the 2026 Democratic primary to represent the district next term. The remaining applicants did not file petitions to run in the Democratic primary. The rest of the 2026 District 9 primary field includes Jonathan Smith, Karen Streeter, Kharl-Ray Massey, Ricky Dixon and Sam Echols.
Blunt is a former candidate for Tennessee House District 86 who lost a 2023 special election to Rep. Justin Pearson. Lewis is an appraiser with the Shelby County Assessor’s Office. Blunt also lost a 2022 primary challenge to Lewis’ supervisor, Shelby County Assessor Melvin Burgess.
Nevertheless, the additional ambition may not help Blunt and Lewis. Some commissioners have suggested they will not support applicants who also appear on the ballot.
The remaining applicants are:
- Patrice Robinson, a former Memphis City Council member who represented District 3 from 2016 to 2023.
- Matthew Szalaj, a special assistant for policy to Memphis Mayor Paul Young.
- Rasheedah Jones, a real estate agent and affordable housing advocate who serves as a Community Redevelopment Agency board member.
- KeShaun Pearson, a leader of Memphis Community Against Pollution and brother of Justin Pearson.
- James Harvey, a former Shelby County Commission chairman who served from 2006 to 2014.
- Sharon Webb, a former Memphis-Shelby County School Board member who served from 2006 to 2010. She currently serves as vice chair of the Shelby County Republican Women’s Club.
- Barnell Conley, CEO of African American Tax & Accounting.
- Andreanna Williams, assistant principal at Cordova Middle School.
Office of Equal Opportunity restructuring
During the 1 1/2-hour meeting, commissioners also approved a resolution to restructure the county’s Office of Equal Opportunity to reflect changes in federal mandates enacted by the Trump administration to end race-based initiatives.
The office’s previous mission was to collect, promote and certify information on minority- and women-owned small businesses applying for contracts with county government.
However, the administration has threatened to withhold funding for local governments that continue similar efforts.
“All responsibilities related to race- and gender-conscious activities and initiatives will be removed from the job description,” a summary of the resolution states.
Among the administrative changes will be a new job title for the diversity supplier officer/chief diversity supplier. If the resolution receives final approval on a third vote, the title will be changed to deputy administrator.
