Shelby County candidates prepare for 2018 election

Candidates are already jockeying for position in next year’s election to determine Shelby County’s highest elected officers, including Mayor Mark Luttrell’s successor.

The 2018 ballot will include nearly all of the county’s most influential positions: mayor, all 13 members of the Board of Commissioners, sheriff, assessor of property, trustee, register of deeds, county clerk and the clerks of the circuit, criminal, probate and juvenile courts. Four of nine school board seats will also be on the ballot.

Even though the election is more than a year away, Shelby County Trustee David Lenoir and Commissioner Terry Roland, both Republicans at the end of their terms, have already declared their interest in the county mayoral election in their latest campaign finance disclosures. Juvenile Court Clerk Joy Touliatos, who could seek reelection, is another Republican exploring a bid.

On the Democrat side, former County Commissioner Sidney Chism has announced his candidacy. Property Assessor Cheyenne Johnson said she was approached about running for mayor, but is waiting until after her office finishes a reappraisal before deciding whether to seek re-election. Politicos are also floating the name of attorney and former county commissioner Steve Mulroy.

The candidates probably won’t begin campaigning in earnest until the end of the summer, but Lenoir and Roland have already begun collecting funds. After a big push in the final three months of 2016, Lenoir ended the year with $85,658 in his account — contrasted to the $563 in Roland’s account, according to campaign finance disclosures.

Lenoir, who was elected in a Republican sweep of county offices in 2010 after raising twice as much money as his Democratic runner-up, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Roland downplayed the importance of money in the election but pointed out that he recently received $15,000 in contributions from 250 people at an event in Arlington. He characterized his campaign as “grassroots,” evoking the unexpected win of President Trump, whom Roland vocally supported.

Republican Dale Lane and Democrat Floyd Bonner Jr. have declared their intention to succeed Bill Oldham as county sheriff. Although a Republican, Oldham is supporting Bonner, his chief deputy, over Lane, who heads the county Office of Preparedness.

Robert Hill, the county trustee’s executive director of governmental and legislative affairs, has also declared his candidacy for Juvenile Court clerk.

Reach Ryan Poe at poe@commercialappeal.com or on Twitter at @ryanpoe.