Bartlett election results 2022: David Parsons wins mayor's race
For 20 years, David Parsons has been a Bartlett alderman. Come 2023, he'll have a new title: Bartlett mayor.
Parsons, 64, won with 41% of the vote, according to unofficial results from Tuesday night. Bartlett Police Department officer Brent Hammonds garnered 34% of the vote, Bartlett Alderman Kevin Quinn finished third with 22% of the vote and retired Shelby County engineer John Lackey received 2% of the vote.
“Number one, I like to say thank you to all those that supported me,” Parsons said to The Commercial Appeal on Wednesday morning. “It’s an honor and privilege to be the mayor of my hometown of Bartlett. Hopefully, all of us ran on the platform of building a better Bartlett and that’s the vision, to build a better Bartlett. We can all come together for the good and better of Bartlett.
"I have an open door policy, a transparent government. I’ll be the mayor to all the citizens and do my very best to serve them with everything I have. At the end of the day, we all live in Bartlett and should have the same goals in mind.”
When Parsons takes office in 2023, it will be the first time in 20 years that Bartlett has a new mayor. Current Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald did not seek a sixth term.
Parsons campaigned on strengthening the city’s public safety, economic development and maintaining the school district's continued success. He also wants to bring more businesses and housing to Bartlett with Ford’s BlueOval City expected to begin production in nearby Stanton in 2025.
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Parsons said he soon plans to reach out to the city’s department heads to learn who intends to stay and who plans to retire. He also plans to reach out to the other Shelby County suburban mayors, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris to begin developing those relationships.
Parsons said he has multiple meetings scheduled with McDonald over the coming weeks to ensure a smooth transition when he takes office on Jan. 1.
Parsons was elected Bartlett Alderman Position 3 in 2002 and has lived in the suburb for most of his life. He has also served as Bartlett vice mayor and on various boards including as current chairman of the Bartlett Board of Zoning Appeals.
Parsons is also a general contractor running his own business, David Parsons Construction. He previously said if he won the mayor’s seat, he would leave David Parsons Construction to focus on running the city full-time.
Omer Yusuf covers the Ford project in Haywood County, residential real estate, tourism and banking for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached via email Omer.Yusuf@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @OmerAYusuf.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Bartlett mayor election results 2022: David Parsons wins
