Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Sheriff Luttrell Changes Mind, Will Run for County Mayor
Posted by Jackson Baker on Tue, Feb 2, 2010 at 3:17 PM
- Mark Luttrell
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Luttrell’s change of heart and announcement of candidacy was made Tuesday, little more than two weeks before the filing deadline of February 18 for this year’s countywide election. (Party primaries for county offices are on May 4, and the general election will take place on August 5.)
The Flyer has learned that Luttrell’s resistance to running was apparently worn down when he was shown results of a GOP-commissioned poll demonstrating that the two remaining known Democratic candidates for county mayor — interim mayor Joe Ford and Shelby County commissioner Deidre Malone — were vulnerable to a candidate with his credentials.
Bartlett banker Harold Byrd’s withdrawal from consideration last week presented a transformed electoral landscape, and it is onto that landscape that Luttrell, a proven vote-getter across party lines, will tread.
Presented with the news on Tuesday, blogger/activist Tom Guleff, who had announced for county mayor as a Republican candidate last week, would say, “The GOP is really excited with Mark and his entrance into the mayor's race. Back to being Joe Citizen.”
Local GOP chairman Lang Wiseman heralded Luttrell's decision with this press release:
A Major Announcement: Leadership you can trust: Mark Luttrell
Friends,
Our County faces tremendous challenges -- billions of dollars in debt, an under-educated workforce, lack of trust in public officials, and a sense that our best days are behind us.
Turning all of that around requires solid, trustworthy leadership. It requires someone who can heal our divides, bring honor to our government institutions, govern with fiscally conservative principles, and bring out the best in all of us.
For months now we have been searching for such a candidate, and today he stepped forward to stand in the gap.
Sheriff Mark Luttrell.
Mark has demonstrated unfailing integrity and an ability to earn the trust of a large majority of voters across partisan, racial, and geographic divides. He has kept his promises, including taking a county jail on the cusp of federal takeover and transforming it into a model institution. He was even recognized by his peers as THE best Sheriff in America.
If such a man can accomplish all of those things from the Sheriff's office, just imagine what Mark can accomplish as Mayor in these trying times.
This task won't be easy, and it will require all hands on deck. If you want real change, you will have to stand up and fight for it. So be ready. In the coming months, we will be asking you to organize your precinct, become a dues-paying member, join or start a Republican club, and contact voters to remind them about the election.
This is our moment – our opportunity to move this community forward – and we couldn't have asked for a better standard-bearer than Mark Luttrell to get the job the done.
UPDATE: In a conversation at a Tuesday afternoon “wine-tasting” reception/fund-raiser for him at Delta Wholesale Liquors, the sheriff explained that “no one factor, but several” inclined him toward running after many months of expressing reluctance.
The first two factors he mentioned were “my skill set” and “my poll numbers.” The latter was a reference to a fresh poll showed him this week by Republican boosters. Apparently taken in the wake of withdrawal of Democrat Harold Byrd (“for whom I have great regard”) from consideration as a mayoral candidate, the reassuring numbers and “looking at the candidates out there” convinced him that he a good chance to win.
Acknowledging that fellow Republicans’ non-stop efforts to talk him into running ”was a consideration,” Luttrell insisted, “A major part of my success is that I am not a partisan person,” and that he had worked across racial and partisan lines as sheriff and would do so again as county mayor. The job “doesn’t have the same scope that the city mayor does,” Luttrell said, but it still offered him sufficient additional challenges.“Eight years ago, the sheriff’s department was a mess,” he said. “The sheriff’s department is no longer a mess.” He indicated that he relished the opportunity to tackle large problems like “poverty, education, public safety, the county debt, and school funding.” Asked if he thought that being mayor offered him a chance to redefine himself after a career largely devoted to incarceration and law enforcement, he answered, “In a sense,” and went on to say, “I’m looking forward to a new test.”
Comments (13)
Showing 1-13 of 13
So really, from the statement, his main accomplishment is he kept the federal government from staging a takeover of the jail. What were the other promises that were kept?
All the rest- "bipartisan" this and "racial" that is really just puff. How does that translate to being County Mayor except if his platform is to ward off a "takeover" of the county by the city?
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Luttrell is a better administrator than Wharton ever was. I'd vote for Luttrell over Malone or Joe.
As sheriff, Luttrell has done nothing other than perpetuate the good ol' boy system that has plagued that department for years. I wouldn't trust him as far as I could throw him.
I am one of the first graduates from the first Citizen Academy, and I know first hand about how Sherriff Luttrell handles things concerning the jail and the problems facing Shelby County. If Mayor Wharton were still the mayor of Shelby County, that would have been okay with me also because I have the pleasure of meeting him also. I honestly think that Sherriff Luttrell will make a great mayor, and all of the people who think that he will not need to go to Memphis and live. Nobody asked them how they liked to have all of the crime that is plaquing this county, but he sure is trying to do all that he can to get this situation under control. So to you Sherriff Luttrell, I Gail Fouts will vote for you as mayor of Shelby County over any other person running for mayor. If there is someone who thinks that they can do a better job than he can needs to step up and run for mayor of Shelby County. You are entitle to your opinion, but until you see first hand how he handles things then please do not judge him as you have in the above comments. GO SHERRIFF LUTTRELL!!!!!
I don't really think that attending some "Citizen Academy" quite counts as first hand experience compared to actually working on a daily basis with the sheriff's department. Now if there are any enterprising reporters out there that would care to investigate the history of Luttrell's reign out at SCSO, there is plenty of stuff to write about. Plenty of good ol' boy networking promotions and discipline, firing officers that have spoke out against the SCSO policies, and hell, the sheriff was even implicated as a factor in the recent suicide of an officer. No, Luttrell is not the squeaky clean guy that you think he is. As for better, Tom Guleff was odds on perhaps the best name I've heard thrown out there. Too bad he's not going to run now.
I hope he does run for mayor, and loses. It's time for Luttrell and his media controlling machine to go. Luttrell has always put his public image first, before any of his employees and any of the real concerns that face the citizens of Shelby county. He has single-handedly destroyed the moral of both the jail and sheriff's office employees. SCSO, at one time, was a wonderful place to work. Where administration cared about the employees and ran it not as a business, but as law enforcement. Officer's haven't seen a raise in years, and have steadily lost more and more benefits. I am by no means a fan of Malone or Ford, however something needs to change. Luttrell has a great public image, that's because he has Steve Shular, a person hired directly from the Memphis media. Negative things about the Sheriff rarely make light, and when they do, they liability is immediately placed upon the officer. Before any investigation, before any fact finding mission is made accusations of officer misconduct are used to transfer the blame. Is that truely "Leadership you can trust."? Ask the Seivwright family....
Mad Merc I think you need to go back to school and learn how to read, because I said that I was one of the first graduates from the "Citizen Academy's " class. You sound like to me to be of the "good ol red-neck idiots" . Sherriff Luttrell is one of the best Sheriff's that this county ever had, and its people like yourself that cannot see the good things that he has done for this community. Maybe you need to go to the jail and take a look around at all of the positives things that he has done for the inmates and the people who are hired to guard the jail. NOW IF IT WERE THE CHIEF OF POLICE FOR THE MEMPHIS POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WAS RUNNING FOR SHELBY COUNTY MAYOR I BET YOU WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO STAND IN LINE AND CAST YOUR VOTE FOR THAT "GOOD-OL BOY " .
Damn Gail, a little touchy there aren't you? Obviously you are the one that needs to "go back to school", a few critical thinking classes might help you out. Your "Citizen's Academy" is hardly tantamount to working with the deputies for years, but then again why am I explaining this to someone as enlightened as you? Your blind devotion reminds of a Jim Jones follower. You need to raise your head up, get the brown stuff off your nose, and begin to read the papers. I have been called many things, but redneck is not one of them.
And what's with the Larry Godwin comment? I never mentioned him. Strange.
I almost had to call for an EMT (911) this morning when I saw the photo with Mark and Bobby Lanier. I think I spit up a whole glass of orange juice. God help us.
I like urbanut's last comment "...except if his platform is to ward off a "takeover" of the county by the city?" That poses an interesting question, what IS Sheriff Luttrell's stand on consolidation of the city and county? At some point, all the candidates for county mayor will need to give a real answer to that question. A smooth, political-speak nonanswer from any of them will not be acceptable.
Well take it from me,Ive been a deputy for 20 years.Ive worked every division in the SCSO, Sheriff Luutreal is a pencil pushing CEO.He cares nothing and I mean nothing about his employes.Mad Merc is right.The moral is the worst ive seen it in my career,we officers have not had a raise in 7 years and when I was hired we where the highest paid officers in the state.Now..Germantown and Collierville makes more then us.I know times are hard on everybody including county govermant but...when you as a sworn officer are more scared of the administration then you are of the crooks on the street theres a BIG PROBLEM!!
Oh yea i almost forgot.At Sheriff Luttrells first staff meeting after being elected he asked, Why was the Sheriffs office making arrests in Bartlett and Millington? One unnamed Captain stated"Sheriff Millington and Bartlett is in Shelby county"
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