Until recently, the field for the 2026 Shelby County mayoral race seemed reasonably settled with five candidates, all with known public profiles, vying for the Democratic Party nomination, which, once gained, would pretty certainly, given the county’s demographic realities, result in a general election victory.
To recap, the five are: Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley, County Commissioner Mickell Lowery, County CAO Harold Collins, County Assessor Melvin Burgess, and Criminal Court Clerk Heidi Kuhn.
Since then, of course, a sixth candidate with serious name recognition, former schools superintendent Marie Feagins, has announced for the race. Feagins’ firing by the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board, after the briefest tenure, shook the pillars of local officialdom and fomented a controversy which divided the community and which has still not abated.
Given Feagins’ notoriety, it remains unusually difficult to establish the identity of her potential political base. A generous number of local Republicans, seemingly convinced by her new-broom actions as superintendent that she was conservative-friendly, came to her defense. But so did copious numbers of inner-city residents, Black and presumably Democratic by inclination.
The fact is that, ideologically, Feagins remains a mystery figure, even to the point of whether she would run (assuming she follows through) in a party primary or as an independent. She claimed Democratic affiliation on the preliminary form establishing her candidacy and naming a treasurer, but in an interview with a local reporter, left her options conspicuously open.
Regardless of what flag she eventually flies under, candidate Feagins would be subject to the normal insistent probings about her positions on issues and would see her abilities tested under the pressure of a campaign. Further, would she be able to raise sufficient funds for a major effort, and from whom?
These fundamental issues remain to be resolved, and a variety of developments yet to come could alter the conditions of the mayoral race, in the case of both Feagins and those of the other candidates so far declared.
Can it really be, for example, as consultant Deidre Malone declared on a weekend TV talk show, that embattled County Clerk Wanda Halbert could enter the mayoral race? Talk about name recognition! It cuts both ways! And is Deidre, who represented Feagin’s foes in the Battle of the School Board, maybe just trying to couple Wanda with Marie in the mind’s eye. A little confusion goes a long way …
If that’s the idea, though, there’s a better way. It will be recalled that, upon hearing that Justin J. Pearson intended to challenge 9th District Congressman Steve Cohen, Towanna Murphy floated the idea of seeking that office herself.
As comedian Latoya T. Polk portrays first-term school board member in an online skit, “Murphy” seems to have some trouble deciding whether the seat she seeks is in the Senate or the House. Might as well think mayor as well. She’s already an avowed opponent of Marie Feagins, having voted No against the superintendent on the board.
And, in an age that seems to value disruptors in politics, Murphy definitely is one, having been named in two different restraining orders, having been forced to apologize for demanding the deportation of an American ciitizen, having boasted of moving “cocaine and weed and cash off the trucks” at FedEx in an intended tribute to the late Fred Smith, and, most recently, having been thrown out of a county commission meeting for yelling at other attendees.
Que será, será! In any case, worry not. It’s Thanksgiving! We’ll get caught up later. Meanwhile, get yourself a hot toddy and gobble away.