This Democratic state senate candidate wants Memphis mayor disciplined
Strickland is accused of crossing the aisle to endorse Republican candidate in the race
Ruby Powell-dennis, the Democratic candidate for State Senate District 31, took issue Thursday with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland‘s endorsement of one of her potential Republican opponents, Brent Taylor.
In an interview, Powell-dennis called for Strickland’s censure and “de-bonification” within the Shelby County Democratic Party, which Strickland once chaired, because Strickland, a moderate Democrat who holds a nonpartisan office, endorsed Taylor Wednesday.
“When we talk about our party being a big tent, it is that we have a shared belief in our values, why we engage in electoral politics, and that’s something that we sign off on. We take oaths and pledges and commitments to that,” Powell-dennis said in an interview. “And Mayor Strickland is a former Shelby County Democratic Party chair. He knows that all too well. And this is a situation where I personally want just an equitable opportunity to run for the seat.”
She said, “When you cross over and choose to endorse in a contested Republican primary for an open seat, that is just a great affront to our Democratic Party and our values, and, quite frankly, to all the candidates who are on the ballot, and to our Democratic donors and supporters.”
To be a member of a political party, the party must certify that the member is a “bona fide” member and shares the party’s values
State Senate District 31 was a relatively purple district until this recent redistricting cycle. Its borders now include much of Collierville and Lakeland, which tend to vote heavily Republican, leaving Powell-dennis with an uphill battle.
In the contested Republican Primary, Taylor, a former Memphis City Councilman and Shelby County Election Commissioner, is seen as the presumptive favorite to succeed outgoing State. Sen. Brian Kelsey.
Strickland responded to Powell-dennis Thursday. He said in a statement: “Like it or not, state government has a significant impact on Memphis. As a part of my strategy to get better outcomes from Nashville, I have supported candidates in Democratic and Republican districts, that would be strong advocates for Memphis.
Working across the aisle to achieve meaningful legislation and more state dollars for Memphians is the right thing to do. District 31 is a Republican district, and Brent Taylor has a history of effective leadership in our city and county.”
Strickland said in a text message that he considers himself a member of the Democratic Party and “always will be.”
Strickland often crosses aisle
In his six years as mayor, Strickland has often crossed party lines and operated in an apolitical way to achieve his policy goals. The most recent example is his efforts to get a truth-in-sentencing bill passed in the Tennessee General Assembly where he has partnered with House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy Mcnally, both of whom are staunch Republicans.
That bill is also supported by Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich, a Republican running for reelection. Her Democratic opponents have voiced opposition to it. Strickland has not endorsed a candidate in that race. He also has not endorsed Ken Moody, who serves as his senior advisor, in the Democratic primary for Shelby County mayor.
In the 2020 Democratic presidential primary, Strickland endorsed former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg and later President Joe Biden.
After the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, Strickland
said he disagreed with U.S. Rep. David Kustoff, R-tennessee, who voted against certifying the election results of several states. The two men are close personal friends and former law partners. Strickland has also often spoken about the need for bipartisanship in Washington, D.C., particularly for infrastructure spending. The closure of the Hernando de Soto Bridge last year brought one such opportunity. Strickland used the appearance of U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in Memphis last June to call for more bipartisanship in Washington.
If the Shelby County and state Democratic Party move to remove or discipline Strickland in some way, it would be similar to how former State Rep. John Deberry, a conservative Democrat from Memphis, was removed from the ballot in 2020 because his votes did not align with the party’s stances. Deberry ran and lost as an independent to now State Rep. Torrey Harris.
Strickland, who was overwhelmingly reelected in 2019 and is among the more well-known politicians in Shelby County, is term-limited in the mayor’s office. He has, in the past, not ruled out a run for a future office but has said he expects the mayor’s office to be his last.
Dave Cambron, a Tennessee Democratic Party Committeeman, said censure of Strickland would have no effect because the mayor was not on the ballot. He said the party could remove Strickland from the ballot in a future primary if he elected to run as a Democrat for a partisan seat.
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.