WKNO TRANSCRIPT
CHRISTOPHER BLANK (Host): It's been a hotter than usual summer for some Shelby County politicians who are also in the hot seat. This week, another investigation, this time into City Council Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington. With us to talk about that and the start of early voting is political analyst Otis Sanford. Welcome back.
OTIS SANFORD: Thank you, Chris. Thank you for having me.
BLANK: Otis, once again, the details on this are still trickling out, but what do we know so far?
SANFORD: Well, basically what we know is that they apparently, based on reporting mostly by the Daily Memphian, that there is an ethics investigation going on that involves the councilwoman Swearengen-Washington. And it seems to focus on, maybe, some improper solicitation of her staff to contribute to a church where her husband is a pastor. And there was also some allegations made of purchasing Kamala Harris's book. And that, maybe, the councilwoman kept some of the books for herself. There's just an investigation that's going on right now, and we'll just have to see how it plays out.
BLANK: You know, Republicans have really hammered home the problems in Shelby County government recently. There's the Memphis-Shelby County Schools audit. There was Edmund Ford Jr's conviction; his sentencing is still coming up. Allegations that incoming council member Lashanta Rudd misused some grant money. There was Court Clerk Tami Sawyer's indictment. This list seems to keep going on. Democrats don't look good here. When does this become a party issue?
SANFORD: Well, Chris, it's already a party issue. Certainly, if you ask any Republican, especially a Republican elected official, it is already a party issue. And I'm sure that they are sharpening their knives to go even heavier at this after the primary. I think that they can't be happy: the leadership of the Democratic Party can't be happy that all of this is happening at this moment. But they're going to have to try to weather the storm and see if they can at least maintain or retain some of their seats coming into the election. I don't know where things are going to head here, but it just doesn't look good for the Democratic Party right now.
BLANK: Well, early voting starts today, and locals have some big decisions to make amid the aforementioned drama. Let's start with some thoughts about the county mayor's race. There's Democrat Mickell Lowery and Republican John DeBerry. Who's got the edge here?
SANFORD: Well, I think, despite everything that we just got through talking about, the Democrat Mickell Lowery has the clear edge here. Democrats have flexed their muscle politically in the county for the last two or three election cycles, and I don't see that changing at any point in that race. Plus, you have to say that John DeBerry, who used to be a Democrat, but got affiliated with the Republican Party, has not done himself any favors by latching on to the current governor, who is really not all that popular, especially among Democrats in Memphis and Shelby County. So, you have to give the edge here to Mickell Lowery.
BLANK: And if you have been paying attention to what has been called a "humanitarian crisis" at the county jail, along with what seems like a feud going on between current Mayor Lee Harris and Sheriff Floyd Bonner over funding, the next county sheriff will be inheriting a a big problem--a relationship problem, in a sense. In the race for County Sheriff, we have Democrat Anthony Buckner and Republican Brad Less. What should people be expecting, or maybe looking at, when they go to cast their vote for sheriff?
SANFORD: The number one thing that voters should look at is who is better positioned to get the kind of cooperation that is going to be needed by the next sheriff to make some changes, to get a buy-in from the county commission and the next mayor, because cooperation is going to be pivotal here. But those are the things that voters should ask.
BLANK: Well, finally, Otis, we'll be talking more next week about the congressional races. But many Memphians will go to the polls to find themselves without an incumbent Democrat to vote for this year. Lawmakers constructed these districts to tip the scales for Republicans. What is the Democratic agenda in the primaries?
SANFORD: The Democratic agenda is trying to nominate someone who is the best positioned candidate to take on the Republican in the November election. And we're talking about these three districts that have been gerrymandered to include Memphis. And that's District 5, District 8, and a completely reconstituted District 9. It's going to be vital that the Democrats nominate someone who has a chance to win. And I think, if you talk to a lot of Democratic operatives, they believe that District 5 is winnable, especially if the current Republican incumbent Andy Ogles is the person that gets the Republican nomination. So, that is what the Democrats are trying to do.
