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5 Memphis-Shelby County board members wish to cease the native election fee from getting ready for Could 5 main races as their lawsuit in opposition to the 2026 board reset performs out in court docket.
The group requested a short lived restraining order from the Shelby County Chancery Courtroom on Tuesday, greater than two weeks after candidates started choosing up petitions as step one to securing their spots on the poll. The court docket is ready to listen to arguments for the restraining order request on Jan. 26.
If granted, the measure would cease the Shelby County Election Fee from persevering with to difficulty candidate petitions for Districts 2, 3, 4, 5 and seven. In a response letter submitted Tuesday, Lawyer Normal Jonathan Skrmetti stated halting that course of would trigger “electoral chaos.” Twenty-two candidates in these have already pulled petitions, signaling their intent to run within the Could main.
Board members Natalie McKinney, Stephanie Love, Tamarques Porter, Sable Otey, and Towanna Murphy, who presently symbolize these districts, filed an preliminary lawsuit in opposition to the election fee in December.
The group blames election leaders for placing all 9 college board seats on the 2026 poll, which is able to lower brief their elected phrases that started in 2024.
Board members say that they’re being irreparably harmed by preparations made to fill their seats earlier than the court docket points an official opinion. However the state lawyer basic, on behalf of the native election fee, argues that it might be “virtually unattainable” to correctly maintain the college board races with out preparation if the board loses its lawsuit.
The board can be calling for an expedited listening to and everlasting injunction to cease the election fee from “taking any motion to name for or make preparations for” the 5 district races past the petition course of that ends on Feb. 19.
As of Dec. 31, not one of the incumbents concerned within the lawsuit had picked up their petitions regardless of virtually all confirming that they’d run for reelection in the event that they must. Murphy, who represents District 7, advised Chalkbeat that the group is ready for instruction from their attorneys.
Listed below are the candidates who’ve picked up qualifying petitions for the Could 5 main.
District 1
- Michelle R. McKissack (incumbent), Democrat
- Natoria Sherell Carpenter, Democrat
- Tamara Thompson, Democrat
District 2
- Norman Ray Redwing, Democrat
- Marcus Randolph, Democrat
- Ernest Gillespie (ran in 2024), Democrat
- Alexis Agnew, Democrat
- Jeffery Scarbrough, Republican
- Laquita Shanta Jones, Republican
District 3
- Tarnika Love-Anderson, Democrat
- Verlean Kelly, Democrat
- Jesse Kirk Jeff (ran in 2024), Democrat
- Valerie Wright, Unbiased
- Keith Antonio Houston, Unbiased
District 4
- Darlene W. LeSueur, Democrat
- Michelle Renee Jones, Democrat
- Cynthia A. Gentry, Democrat
- Patty Peters, Democrat
District 5
- Adrianna Butler, Democrat
- Vonetta Jones, Unbiased
- William David Kelly, Republican
- Carmilla Wheeler, Republican
District 6
- Juliette Eskridge, Democrat
- Contessa Glorianna Humphrey, Democrat
- Frederick Dewayne Tappan, Unbiased
District 7
- Danielle La-sha Huggins (ran in 2024), Democrat
- Tamika Abrum, Democrat
- Sonia P. Warr, Unbiased
District 8 (Incumbent Amber Huett-Garcia is not going to be operating for reelection.)
- Toshina Williams-Webb, Democrat
- Alfred Dexter Dyson, Democrat
- Ayleem Connolly, Democrat
- Newton Morgan, Unbiased
District 9
- Jonathan Carroll, Democrat
- Damon Curry Morris, Democrat
- Louis Morganfield, Democrat
Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Colleges for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Attain Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.
