There are 52 article(s) tagged Mickell Lowery:

• May 2026

  • Early vote results show Lowery leading Democratic primary for county mayor

    There were 57,164 early and absentee ballots in Shelby County prior to Tuesday’s Election Day. That batch of votes is the first counted by the election commission.

    By Bill Dries May 05, 2026

  • Special session bid to ‘Flip Memphis’ becomes tip of political iceberg

    The political roundup connects the dots on the call to redraw U.S. House district lines ahead of August Congressional primaries to the broader call by Republicans for more state control of the city.

    By Bill Dries May 03, 2026

• April 2026

  • Democratic mayoral candidates on MSCS lawsuit, Task Force, jail

    With Election Day around the corner, it was a busy week in Shelby County. Mayoral contenders hit forums across the area to talk with voters one-on-one. Meanwhile, early voting turnout is higher than the pivotal 2018 County primaries.

    By Bill Dries April 27, 2026

  • County government could fund legal challenge of MSCS state takeover

    Two contenders in the Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor, Mickell Lowery and Harold Collins, each said private talks could surface to get around a state law that prevents school boards from using public money to fight a school system takeover by the state.

    By Bill Dries April 25, 2026

  • Feagins tells mayoral forum she does not favor school-takeover legislation

    Marie Feagins commented on the Memphis-Shelby County Schools takeover law at a forum for Democratic contenders for Shelby County mayor among suburban chamber of commerce leaders in East Memphis.

    By Bill Dries April 23, 2026

  • Harris backs Collins, a win for citizen journalism and Lowery weighs in on LeBron

    In this week’s political roundup: Harris backs Collins, Memphis loses a public records case, Lowery weighs in on LeBron, and Green talks medical debt and executive orders.

    By Bill Dries April 15, 2026

  • The Democratic primary race for Shelby County mayor

    Here’s an overview of the Democratic primary race for county mayor, the seven candidates and their interaction with each other as well as the shadow of the outgoing mayor on the race.

    By Bill Dries April 15, 2026

  • One Shelby County candidate has more cash than all his opponents combined

    Newly filed campaign finance forms show two Shelby County Democratic mayoral candidates with far more financial resources than the rest of the crowded primary. 

    By Samuel Hardiman April 13, 2026

• March 2026

  • Post-Ford County Commission sets new rules for ‘disruptive’ commissioners

    The new rule allows the body to possibly remove a disruptive commissioner from discussion with a two-thirds vote. The Commission also approved an increase in funding for a UTHSC contract and voted down a $65,000 grant by Commissioner Henri Brooks.

    By Bill Dries March 30, 2026

• February 2026

  • Seven candidates stake out positions at Democratic county mayoral forum

    The candidates each talked about their differences with each other as the campaigns move past introductions.

    By Bill Dries February 24, 2026

  • Young’s State of the City moment collides with Task Force immigration fight

    Also, Steve Cohen says next step in federal government funding centers on DHS and ICE; and Bill Lee talks about childhood visits to Memphis, as well as the tragedy that shaped his entry into politics; and a Shelby County mayoral contender opened his campaign headquarters.

    By Bill Dries February 09, 2026

• January 2026

  • County Commission votes to keep all nine MSCS seats on 2026 ballot

    Commissioners decided Monday they want a lawsuit to stay in place and a court to put an end to the dispute over MSCS elections one way or another.

    By Bill Dries, Laura Testino January 12, 2026

  • Young says goal of 40% drop in crime met two years ahead of campaign promise

    Memphis Mayor Paul Young talked about the 2023 campaign promise at Thursday’s Lowery New Year’s Day Prayer Breakfast Downtown.

    By Bill Dries January 05, 2026

• December 2025

  • ‘Long road’ of Shelby County mayoral race takes turn through LeMoyne-Owen

    There were some sparks and plenty of claims disputed Wednesday, Dec. 3, during the forum at LeMoyne-Owen College. The same five contenders who showed up last month for a Germantown forum took the stage in Soulsville.

    By Bill Dries December 04, 2025

• November 2025

  • Mayoral candidates define themselves at first campaign forum

    Five of the six declared Democratic candidates for Shelby County mayor spoke at the forum held by the Germantown Democratic Party at the Great Hall Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025.

    By Bill Dries November 05, 2025

  • Partisan school board primaries are coming

    Also, the anatomy of a veto override, and a school board member says she’s running for County Commission.

    By Bill Dries November 02, 2025

• October 2025

  • Lowery wants a ‘change in culture,’ Pearson gears up fundraising, and Republicans want Sawyer to resign

    Also in the political roundup: Congressional contender Justin J. Pearson campaigns. And General Sessions Court Clerk Tami Sawyer is asked to resign over a recorded courthouse confrontation.

    By Bill Dries October 13, 2025

• June 2025

  • Political Roundup: Lowery stumps, red state strategies and new voter numbers

    The Political Roundup looks at some sparks in the early field for Shelby County in the 2026 county elections and examines the political divide over what kind of a relationship a majority Democratic or blue city should keep with leaders of a red state.

    By Bill Dries June 30, 2025

• March 2025

  • County Commissioner Mickell Lowery declares for Shelby County mayor

    The May primary fields to succeed outgoing Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris could grow with no incumbent seeking reelection.

    By Bill Dries March 25, 2025

• February 2025

  • LeMoyne-Owen offers hands-on broadcast experience

    The Lowery Communication Center offers hands-on experience in broadcasting, podcasting and media production for students at the Memphis college.

    By Redding Jackson February 22, 2025

  • Did no-confidence vote set stage for state takeover of MSCS?

    Shelby County Commissioners Mickell Lowery and Britney Thornton talked on “Behind The Headlines” about the political boundary between the commission and the MSCS board.

    By Bill Dries February 08, 2025

• January 2025

  • Lowery proposes commission have ‘direct role’ in MSCS spending

    Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery said on “Behind The Headlines” that he would like to see the commission have line-item control of MSCS spending.

    By Bill Dries January 31, 2025

  • Young: ‘Turn down the drama and the foolishness’

    Memphis Mayor Paul Young marked the first year of his four-year term as mayor at a New Year’s Day prayer breakfast where he talked about “turmoil” in schools and other “drama” locally.

    By Bill Dries January 01, 2025

• July 2024

  • Memphis hip-hop museum planners sample thoughts on genre, locations

    A feasibility study for a Memphis hip-hop museum is underway.

    By Bill Dries July 05, 2024

• June 2024

  • Sheriff keeps vacant positions, tax rate stays stable in approved county budget

    At a meeting that stretched past 1:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the Shelby County Commission closed out its budget season with no property-tax hike and a 6% pay raise for county employees.

    By Bill Dries June 18, 2024