Will Democrats play name game, cross generation gap?
When Sidney Chism called Lee Harris “a decent kid,” the remark signaled that an intergenerational battle among local Democrats was on. And, intentional or not, the main issue in the party’s quest to regain the Shelby County mayor’s office had been framed.
At that moment, this became a race about age, and whether Democratic voters will favor Harris’ youthful energy or Chism’s old-school political savvy.
It is the signature contest for Democrats in Tuesday’s county primary in which voters in both the Democratic and Republican parties will select nominees for mayor, county commission, sheriff and a host of other countywide constitutional offices ranging from assessor of property to register of deeds.
The nominees emerging on Tuesday will move on to the county general election Aug. 2. As the candidates wrap up the last weekend of campaigning, here are four key things to watch on the Democratic side of the ballot.
The generation gap: The mayoral contest is clearly the most intriguing because it will determine if voters favor Chism, a candidate who talks from experience about how things were in the 1960s, or Harris, who is considered a rising political star literally half Chism’s age.
In candidate profiles earlier this month in The Commercial Appeal, Chism, 78, was asked about Harris. His response was, “I think he’s a decent kid. I think he’s an opportunist.”
The comment quickly sparked heavy debate on social media, with some calling it disrespectful and tantamount to calling Harris a boy. Meanwhile, Harris, 39, said this about his opponent: “I have a lot of respect for Sidney Chism. I’ve known him my whole life. We attended the same church.”
He later added, “Memphis has suffered from the lack of energized leadership. We’ve suffered under the status quo for a long time.” Translated, that means Chism represents stagnation and needs to step aside.
But age isn’t the only thing that separates these candidates.
Harris is a graduate of Yale Law School and is a tenured faculty member at the University of Memphis Law School. He won a seat on the Memphis City Council in 2011 and three years later was elected to the state Senate, where he immediately became minority leader.
Chism, a former county commissioner, entered politics through the labor unions and worked for years behind the scenes for other political candidates.
All of which means the race between Chism, the seasoned veteran, and Harris, the polished upstart, will speak volumes about the direction county Democrats intend to go in 2018 and beyond.
That old Ford magic: What would a local election be without a member of the Ford political family on the ballot? This time, city council member Edmund Ford Jr. is looking to claim the county commission seat held by his cousin, Justin Ford, who is term limited and cannot seek re-election.
But it won’t be easy for Edmund Jr. He is facing six opponents for the District 9 seat, including Roz Nichols, a minister who has emerged as a formidable challenger in a year in which female voters are expected have a heavy presence.
The large field of candidates, which also includes South Memphis Baptist bookstore operator Adrian Killebrew, could benefit Ford. But Nichols has broad support, particularly among faith leaders in Memphis who have traditionally been part of the Ford base.
The name game: Three current city council members, one former council member, and the son of a former council member are seeking Democratic nominations to county offices Tuesday. In addition to Ford, current members Bill Morrison and Janis Fullilove are vying for seats.
Morrison is unopposed in the Democratic primary for Probate Court clerk and will face the GOP nominee in the August election. Fullilove is seeking the Juvenile Court clerk nomination against two lesser-known opponents.
In addition, former councilwoman Wanda Halbert is a candidate for county clerk, and Mickell Lowery, son of former councilman Myron Lowery, is seeking the District 8 commission seat against three challengers.
With former city school board members Stephanie Gatewood and Sharon Webb seeking commission seats, and outgoing Commissioner Melvin Burgess vying to become property assessor, voters will see plenty of familiar names in unfamiliar places.
Winnable candidates: In the end, turnout and voter appeal will dictate who emerges from Tuesday’s primary. For Democrats, this is a crucial year. They have been shut out of nearly all of the countywide offices in recent years primarily because of disharmony within the party organization and less-attractive candidates in general elections.
With renewed energy, Democrats hope to make major gains at the county level that could carry over to state and federal elections this fall.
Otis Sanford holds the Hardin Chair of Excellence in Journalism and Strategic Media at the University of Memphis. Contact him at 901-678-3669 or at o.sanford@memphis.edu. Follow him on Twitter @otissanford and watch his commentaries weekdays on WATN Local 24 News at 5 p.m.