2007 Memphis mayoral election
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| Elections in Tennessee |
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 Government |
The 2007 Memphis mayoral election took place on October 4, 2007. Incumbent Mayor Willie Herenton ran for re-election to a fifth term. Herenton entered the campaign with a negative job approval,[1] and popular Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton was seen as a strong possible opponent. A draft movement attempted to persuade Wharton to challenge Herenton, but he ultimately declined to run.[2] Herenton's leading opponents were City Councilmember Carol Chumney and Herman Morris, the former President and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water. Wharton ultimately won re-election with a plurality of the vote, winning 42 percent of the vote to Chumney's 35 percent and Morris's 21 percent.[3]
However, Wharton would not end up serving his full term as Mayor. In 2009, as he unsuccessfully challenged Democratic Congressman Steve Cohen for re-election in 2010, Herenton resigned as Mayor, triggering a special election.[4]
General election
Candidates
- Willie Herenton, incumbent Mayor[5]
- Carol Chumney, Memphis City Councilmember[6]
- Herman Morris, former President and CEO of Memphis Light, Gas and Water[7]
- John H. Willingham, former County Commissioner, 2003 candidate for Mayor[8]
- Sharon A. Webb,Memphis City Schools Board member[9]
- Laura Davis Aaron, perennial candidate[10]
- Carlos F. Boyland, bus driver[11]
- Roosevelt Jamison, U.S. Navy veteran[12]
- DeWayne A. Jones, Sr., businessman[10]
- Fred Askew, retired boxer[12]
- Randy L. Cagle, businessman[11]
- Bill Jacox, perennial candidate[11]
- James McKay[13]
- Bill McAllister, computer systems engineer[14]
Declined
- A C Wharton, Mayor of Shelby County[2]
- James Perkins, former FedEx executive[15]
Disqualified
- Billy Smith, former University of Memphis basketball player[15]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Carol Chumney |
Willie Herenton |
Herman Morris |
John Willingham |
James Perkins |
Other/ Others |
Undecided | Declined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethridge and Associates[1] | April 1–3, 2007 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 32% | 20% | 16% | 3% | – | 2% | 25% | 2% |
| Ethridge and Associates[16] | July 8–10, 2007 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 24% | 24% | 12% | 1% | 3% | – | 29% | – |
| Ethridge and Associates[17] | September 23–25, 2007 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 19% | 24% | 19% | – | – | 3% | 22% | 14% |
Hypothetical polling
With A C Wharton
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
A C Wharton |
Carol Chumney |
Willie Herenton |
Herman Morris |
James Perkins |
John Willingham |
Other | Undecided | Declined |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ethridge and Associates[1] | April 1–3, 2007 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 31% | 20% | 12% | 9% | – | 3% | 4% | 19% | 2% |
| Ethridge and Associates[16] | July 8–10, 2007 | 500 (LV) | ± 4.4% | 30% | 14% | 18% | 6% | 1% | 1% | – | 23% | – |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nonpartisan | Willie Herenton (inc.) | 70,192 | 42.44% | |
| Nonpartisan | Carol Chumney | 57,196 | 34.58% | |
| Nonpartisan | Herman Morris | 35,161 | 21.26% | |
| Nonpartisan | John H. Willingham | 1,118 | 0.68% | |
| Nonpartisan | Sharon A. Webb | 510 | 0.31% | |
| Nonpartisan | Laura Davis Aaron | 181 | 0.11% | |
| Nonpartisan | Carlos F. Boyland | 160 | 0.10% | |
| Nonpartisan | Roosevelt Jamison | 157 | 0.09% | |
| Nonpartisan | DeWayne A. Jones, Sr. | 140 | 0.08% | |
| Nonpartisan | Fred Askew | 126 | 0.08% | |
| Nonpartisan | Randy L. Cagle | 113 | 0.07% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill Jacox | 95 | 0.06% | |
| Nonpartisan | James McKay | 92 | 0.06% | |
| Nonpartisan | Bill McAllister | 84 | 0.05% | |
| Write-in | 72 | 0.04% | ||
| Total votes | 165,397 | 100.00% | ||
Notes
References
- ^ a b c Jones, Jacinthia (April 9, 2007). "Chumney early leader for mayor". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1, A5. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b Jones, Jacinthia (July 17, 2007). "Wharton won't answer draft bell". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (October 5, 2007). "Still the one: Mayor seeks unity, calls out 'haters'". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Baker, Jackson (July 30, 2009). "Herenton has left the building". Action 5 News. Memphis, Tennessee. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia; Perrusquia, Marc (July 4, 2007). "Herenton lashes out". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (August 22, 2006). "Race on for city mayor". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (March 1, 2007). "Morris jumps into Memphis mayor race". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B6. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Doniach, Alex (February 11, 2007). "Dutch Treat Luncheon's legacy is carried on by a new generation". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B9. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (July 18, 2007). "School board's Webb to run for city mayor". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. B1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "City of Memphis: Mayor". The Commercial Appeal: Voter Guide. Memphis, Tennessee. September 23, 2007. p. 2. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b c Baker, Jackson (July 26, 2007). "Four More Years?". Memphis Flyer. Memphis, Tennessee. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "14 candidates duke it out for city's top spot". Action 5 News. Memphis, Tennessee. September 28, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "Quick List - Candidates in the October 4, 2007 Memphis municipal election". Action 5 News. Memphis, Tennessee. August 3, 2007. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (July 20, 2007). "Sixteen file for mayor". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b Jones, Jacinthia (July 20, 2007). "It's crowded at top in mayor's race". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A7. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ a b Jones, Jacinthia (July 15, 2007). "Poll: Wharton is election wild card". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1, A4. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ Jones, Jacinthia (September 30, 2007). "Too close to call". The Commercial Appeal. Memphis, Tennessee. p. A1, A4. Retrieved July 21, 2025.
- ^ "MEMPHIS MUNICIPAL ELECTION - OCTOBER 4, 2007 - SHELBY COUNTY, TENNESSEE" (PDF). Shelby County Election Commission. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 7, 2009. Retrieved July 21, 2025.