Incumbent Lee Harris beats Ken Moody in Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor
Incumbent Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris will have a chance at another four years in office, after defeating challenger Ken Moody to once again earn the Democratic nomination for the role.
Harris will face Republican Worth Morgan in the general election August 4. Morgan, who was unchallenged in his primary, has represented Memphis' 5th City Council district since 2016.
"I am thrilled by this evening's outcome and thankful to the voters," Harris said Tuesday night. "Honestly, I am also feeling grateful to Ken Moody for his years of service to our community, his indefatigable spirit on the trail and, based on what I felt when I met him, his genuine love for this community. I think we are energized around our issues like healthcare access and jobs, and I am focused on all the ways we move the attention to the lives and needs of working families."
Harris received 33,753 votes (70%) to Moody's 14,369 votes (30%), according to unofficial vote totals from the Shelby County Election Commission. Only about 10.8% of Shelby County's 582,421 registered voters cast a ballot during the primary.
The Shelby County mayor is responsible for the budgeting and strategic planning for county departments ranging from the division of public works to the division of corrections and the division of health services.
Moody, special assistant to Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, targeted Harris during his campaign for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, but ultimately fell far behind Harris, according to early voting results and data from 131 of 142 precincts reported by he Shelby County Election Commission.
Harris was sworn in as mayor of the state's largest county in September 2018. He previously held roles on the State Senate and on the Memphis City Council. A former law professor, he grew up in Whitehaven, attended Morehouse College and received his juris doctor degree from Yale Law School in 2003.
His campaign website touts his work on a citywide non-discrimination ordinance while on the City Council, investing in public transit as county mayor, public safety and criminal justice reforms throughout the county and during one year on the State Senate passing more bills into law than any other Democrat. His work in the Senate included pushing for treatment coverage for Tennesseans with sickle cell, advocating for public notification if lead is found in drinking water and more.
As mayor, Harris passed a paid parental leave program for Shelby County employees, eliminated inquiry into criminal history from most Shelby County Government employment applications and delivered a property tax relief program for veterans, the elderly and the disabled.
He also championed a plan to provide equity in pay with a 20% pay raise for public safety employees, which was approved with a unanimous vote by the Shelby County Commission.
In some cases, he’s hit barriers, such as when he proposed an increase to the wheel tax to raise millions in funding for the Memphis Area Transit Authority, finding opposition in the Shelby County Commission.
A hallmark of Harris’ time in office became the fight for $15, with Harris supporting an increase to the minimum wage for both employees of Shelby County and those outside his direct authority, including cafeteria workers in Shelby County Schools and employees at the University of Memphis.
In the latter case, Harris tussled publicly with University President David Rudd in 2019, exercising his veto power for the first time and pointing out that the university had not committed to a timeline to raise its minimum wage. The university announced it would fully implement the $15 minimum in 2021.
During his campaign, Moody garnered the support of many of the clergy members who he worked with while special assistant to Strickland, including Bishop Brandon B. Porter, pastor of Greater Community Temple COGIC and a member of the denomination's highest leadership board. Others who endorsed Moody included the Afro-American Police Association, former Mayor Willie Herenton, Former Democratic Party Chairman and County Commissioner Sidney Chism, Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee Member Adrienne Pakis-Gillon and Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr., one of Harris' most vocal critics.
Harris' endorsements included numerous labor organizations like the AFL-CIO Labor Council, Teamsters Local 667, United Campus Workers - Communications Workers of America and The Memphis and West Tennessee Building and Construction Trades Council as well as Stand for Children - Tennessee and current elected officials ranging from Shelby County Trustee Regina Morrison Newman to five state representatives, three current county commissioners and two current city councilmen.
Katherine Burgess covers county government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com, 901-529-2799 or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Shelby County Mayor Democratic primary 2022: Lee Harris beat Ken Moody
