Green, Walker and Easter-Thomas win runoff races for Memphis City Council

Katherine Burgess, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·2 min read

Jerri Green, Pearl Eva Walker and Michalyn Easter-Thomas were triumphant Thursday in their runoff races to obtain seats on the Memphis City Council.

Two of the races were close, with Green and Walker winning by less than 1 percentage point.

Those three single-district races went to a runoff when no candidate obtained a majority of the vote last month. Only single-member districts currently go to runoffs.

Jerri Green is seeking election to the District 2 seat on the Memphis City Council in the Oct. 5, 2023 election.
Jerri Green is seeking election to the District 2 seat on the Memphis City Council in the Oct. 5, 2023 election.

In District 2, which includes parts of East Memphis and Cordova, Green defeated McCormick with 1,752 votes to 1,696 in the runoff, according to unofficial results.

Green has spent the last two years as a senior policy adviser for Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris. McCormick previously served on the City Council from 2004 to 2008, including as chair in 2008.

The District 2 seat is currently held by Frank Colvett, who could not seek reelection due to term limits.

Pearl Eva Walker is seeking election to the District 3 seat on the Memphis City Council in the Oct. 5, 2023 election.
Pearl Eva Walker is seeking election to the District 3 seat on the Memphis City Council in the Oct. 5, 2023 election.

In District 3, which includes parts of Whitehaven, Oakhaven and Hickory Hill, Walker defeated Kirkwood with 781 votes to 767 in the runoff, according to unofficial results.

Walker is the founder of I Love Whitehaven Neighborhood and Business Association and also served on the state Cosmetology Board for six years.

Kirkwood's background and experience is largely in law enforcement and as a pastor. He is currently the executive director of the Memphis Christian Pastors Network.

The District 3 seat is currently held by Patrice Robinson, who could not seek reelection due to term limits.

Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas speaks at the podium during a City Council meeting at city hall in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.
Memphis City Councilwoman Michalyn Easter-Thomas speaks at the podium during a City Council meeting at city hall in Memphis, Tenn., on Tuesday, July 25, 2023.

In District 7, which includes parts of North Memphis, Frayser, Downtown and Mud Island, Michalyn Easter-Thomas defeated Jimmy Hassan with 966 votes to 504 in the runoff, according to unofficial results.

Easter-Thomas has been a council member since 2020. She was the youngest Black councilwoman to ever get elected to the council. Hassan is a business owner.

Katherine Burgess covers Memphis City Government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis City Council election results: See who won three runoff races