MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The crowded race for Shelby County mayor is attracting early attention from potential voters compared to previous elections, though most admit they know little about the candidates ahead of the May primary.
Mayor Campaign signs(ActionNews5)
Shelby County Commission records currently show eight Democratic and four Republican mayoral candidates planning to include their names in the May 5th primary ahead of the February 19th qualifying deadline.
Action News 5 spoke with registered voters at Shelby Farms Park to gauge their engagement with the upcoming election. While awareness of specific candidates remains low, voters expressed clear priorities for the next county leader.
Several voters mentioned some candidates by name, including Marie Feagins, JB Smiley, and Mickell Lowery, though many said they had not researched the field extensively.
“I did hear very recently that Marie Feagins is supposed to be in the race, and I kind of would gravitate moreso towards her,” Dominic Thordarson of East Memphis said.
“One of my old coworkers Rusty Qualls is running for, I think county. I’m voting for him,” said Danzel McKinley-Lewis, also from East Memphis.
“JB Smile and Mr. Lowery, I believe those candidates catch my eye the most,” said Robert King, living in an unincorporated part of Shelby County southeast of Memphis.
One voter said they “didn’t even know we were having a race.”
Despite limited candidate knowledge, voters identified several priorities for the next county mayor.
Memphis- Shelby County Schools(ActionNews 5)
Education topped many lists. McKinley-Lewis said ensuring candidates understand “our school system is very important for our youth, and pretty much that drives the future, especially in Memphis.”
Tiana King of unincorporated Shelby County called the school system “one of our main concerns right now, because as you can see, it’s in turmoil.”
Crime reduction also ranked high among voter concerns. Gracelyn Falco of Bartlett wants the winner to “pay particular attention to safety, make the community more safe and child-friendly.”
Janis Donaville of Cordova said the county needs to address repeat offenders. “We find the criminals, we lock them up, but they don’t stay locked up. We need to stop that. We need to stop throwing them back out to commit more crimes,” she said.
Action News 5’s Garner Montgomery speaks with residents about their opinions on the upcoming mayoral candidates.(ActionNews5)
Other priorities mentioned included immigration enforcement and healthcare reform.
County elections typically see low turnout, with just 11 percent of registered voters participating in the last county primary.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2026 WMC. All rights reserved.
