Takeaways from Memphis mayoral candidates forum
Vote splitting and one candidate’s chauvinism
More than 50 Memphis politicos crowded into the basement bar, eager for what was the first public candidate event of an early election season.
Vote splitting is getting some run. Eleven months before Election Day, three Memphis mayoral candidates committed to not splitting votes, differed on potential city investments in K-12 education and expressed skepticism about Memphis, Light, Gas and Water committing to the Tennessee Valley Authority long-term
Downtown Memphis Commission chief Paul Young, former Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner and Joe Brown, the Memphis judge and television personality, spoke for two hours Thursday night at The Pocket in Downtown Memphis. More than 50 Memphis politicos crowded into the basement bar, eager for what was the first public candidate event of an early election season.
The attendees received a show. Turner and Young tested their early stump speeches, talking points and visions of the city in front of potential political allies and donors. Brown made chauvinistic and obscene comments about women.
The event was moderated by Kirstin Cheers, a Memphis communications professional, with aid from Amber Sherman, a politico and community activist, and hosted by Next Gen PAC and Shelby County Young Democrats.
Two other announced candidates — Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner and Michelle Mckissack, a Memphis Shelby County Schools board member — did not attend the event due to prior commitments, organizers said.
Here are some takeaways:
Young, Turner commit to dropping out if they don’t gain traction
The candidates faced the question present in every conversation about the
Memphis mayoral field — will they drop out if they’re splitting votes?
Turner and Young were both adamant they were the best candidate for Memphis mayor, but acknowledged they would get out of the race if they didn’t gain traction. The two men — normally reserved in public — displayed passion and a desire for the city’s top job when they made their case.
“I’m the best candidate . ... I’m the only one with the experience. can go take pictures in front of my receipts. There are projects that happened over this community over the last seven years that would not have happened without Paul Young involved,” Young said.
He said, “I need time to get my message out. If it doesn’t resonate, yes.”
Turner noted the failed effort to make the nonpartisan mayoral election partisan, which would’ve introduced a primary system that would likely have weeded out all but one Democratic candidate, and the push to reinstitute runoffs, which was also voted down.
“We have to figure it out along this journey... And I’m committed to make sure the best candidate gets in the mayor’s office. If I feel that means dropping out the race will yield the best candidate for the city of Memphis, I would do so,” Turner said.
“We don’t have time,” Turner added. “I think you got to be ready right now. I’m ready right now. I’m ready to be even better right now. So I don’t plan
Slight differences on education funding
When the then-memphis City Schools gave up its charter, it curtailed the city of Memphis’ funding to the school district that educates the city’s children. The city does fund a portion of needs-based prekindergarten. The candidates were asked Thursday whether they would up the city’s ante when it comes to the school district.
Turner committed to funding Memphis Shelby County Schools if elected mayor. Young said he would invest city dollars alongside education.
Turner said. “We need to get right back in the middle of education. Because again, that is the greatest crime fighting institution and we have to stop the pipeline of our young people entering into crime .... I am supportive of getting back into K-through-12 education... We could do without a tax increase and we can do it in a very conditioned way. We absolutely have to do it.”
Young said he was not necessarily a proponent of investing in MSCS but felt the city should be involved in some way.
“I am a proponent of investing alongside education. I do believe that the city has a responsibility,” Young said. He used the example of an after-school program his son participated in and how it gave him something to do until 6 p.m. each weeknight.
“We need every school to have programs like that. We need every person in every family to have an opportunity for the young person to be able to be touched for longer periods during the day,” Young said.
Skepticism of long-term deal with TVA
Young and Turner both weighed in on changes they would make at MLGW and both expressed skepticism of a long-term, 20-year-deal with TVA. For the past four years, MLGW has studied whether to leave its power supply contract with federal agency and purchase power elsewhere.
In September, the city-owned utility’s executives said MLGW should stay with TVA on a 20-year, rolling contract
and reject all of the bids from private sector companies made on Memphis’ electricity supply. That recommendation could be voted on by the MLGW Board of Commissioners next month and would still need City Council approval.
“Maybe we don’t need a 20-year deal. Competition is good. Competition means that our rates will go lower. Because we know that if you don’t do right by us we can move on to another company later on,” Turner said.
For the past four years, Turner, an attorney, has worked for Franklin Haney, a businessman who has sought to sell Memphis electricity. He has made public appearances on behalf of Haney and met with MLGW executives and other local officials about Haney’s various proposals.
Young said he agreed with Turner and wondered about why MLGW should sign such a long-term deal.
“We need to evaluate the contract and make sure that we’re getting the best deal,” Young said. Both Young and Turner committed to push MLGW to further underground powerlines.
Brown makes chauvinistic comments about women
Brown, the former judge famous for his namesake reality show “Judge Joe Brown,” has a history of incendiary and chauvinistic comments. During his run for Shelby County District Attorney General in 2014, he made erroneous comments about his opponent Amy Weirich’s sexual orientation. He lost in a landslide.
On Thursday, Brown and the other candidates were asked about the female leadership in Memphis and whether a woman should be mayor.
Brown answered: “I don’t want to get crude about it. But some places that you need to go to exercise leadership, some of the good ladies in here would get drug into an abandoned apartment and raped.
“That’s one of the problems.”
After the forum, State Rep. Torrey Harris apologized to the audience for Brown’s remarks.
Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman.