‘How about we cut you off as the chair?’ — Ford tirade aimed at County Commission chairwoman
Edmund Ford Jr.’s charged words spotlight divisions in Shelby County leadership. (Mark Weber/The Daily Memphian)
The latest tirade by Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr. targeting Commission Chairwoman Shante Avant is getting enough attention to become part of the Shelby County mayoral race.
County Commissioner Mickell Lowery, who is running in the Democratic county mayoral primary, was among those who called out Ford’s behavior at the Monday, Nov. 17, Commission meeting, specifically his describing Avant as “the political concubine of the mayor.”
“I spoke out because that behavior has no place in our chambers and no place in public service,” Lowery said in a campaign fundraising email that went out Thursday. “The moment reflects why I’m running. My career has never been about political games.”
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Edmund Ford Jr. Shante Avant Shelby County Commission 2026 elections Amber Huett-Garcia Marie Feagins Steve Cohen Raumesh Abkari Subscriber OnlyIt’s GivingTuesday week! Will you join the celebration?
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Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
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