Six Democrats seeking Shelby County mayoral nomination meet voters in Memphis debate ahead of May primary

Debate offers first joint appearance in crowded Democratic field

Voters in Shelby County will see the first multi-candidate, head-to-head debate of the 2026 Democratic field seeking to succeed term-limited County Mayor Lee Harris. The event is scheduled for Monday evening, Feb. 23, at Mississippi Boulevard Christian Church in Midtown Memphis, with a public meet-and-greet beginning at 6 p.m. and the debate set for 6:30 p.m.

Six candidates are slated to participate: Melvin Burgess, the Shelby County Assessor of Property; Harold Collins, the county’s chief administrative officer; Marie Feagins, former superintendent of Memphis-Shelby County Schools; Heidi Kuhn, the Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk; Mickell Lowery, a Shelby County commissioner; and JB Smiley Jr., a Memphis City Council member. The moderator is former radio host Michael Adrian Davis.

Primary timetable set for May 5, with early voting in April

The debate arrives as candidates and voters approach the county primary election on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. Under Tennessee’s published election calendar, the qualifying deadline for candidates is Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at noon, and the withdrawal deadline is Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at noon. The voter registration deadline for the May primary is Monday, April 6, 2026.

Early voting for the May 5 primary is scheduled to run from Wednesday, April 15, through Thursday, April 30, 2026. In addition to in-person voting, Tennessee’s absentee-by-mail rules require voters to meet one of the state’s eligibility reasons, including being 60 or older, being outside the county during the entire early voting period and Election Day, or having a qualifying illness or disability. Election administrators list Saturday, April 25, 2026, as the deadline for requesting an absentee ballot application (10 days before Election Day).

What is at stake for the next administration

With the incumbent barred from seeking another term, the next county mayor will take office as Shelby County continues to manage core responsibilities that include budgeting, countywide services, and coordination among departments that touch public safety, courts, property assessment, and administrative operations. The contenders on stage reflect a range of government experience spanning elected legislative roles, countywide administrative functions, court operations, property assessment, and public education leadership.

What to watch during the forum

• How candidates define top budget and service priorities for the next four-year term.
• Plans for administrative performance and oversight across county departments.
• Approaches to issues intersecting with courts, public safety, and county operations.
• How each candidate frames their readiness to lead a countywide executive office.

The Feb. 23 debate is the first scheduled opportunity in this election cycle for voters to compare the Democratic contenders side-by-side in a single, structured forum.

The May 5 Democratic primary will determine the party’s nominee for county mayor ahead of the Aug. 6, 2026, county general election, which will be held alongside federal and state primaries.