Wanda Halbert

Current office and 2026 campaign

Wanda Halbert, a Democrat, currently serves as the Shelby County Clerk in Tennessee, an office she assumed in 2018 ¹. Her term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 ¹. In the lead-up to the 2026 elections, Halbert filed petitions to run for three county offices: her current position of Shelby County Clerk, as well as Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk ⁶⁷¹². This multi-office candidacy occurred despite term limits that prohibit a person from serving more than two consecutive terms in the clerk’s office ⁷¹².

Halbert appeared on the ballot for the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026 ¹. In the race for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk, she lost to Joe Towns Jr. by 121 votes ¹¹¹⁴. For the Shelby County Clerk position, LaSonya Hall won the Democratic nomination to replace the outgoing Halbert ¹³. The general election for these offices is scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

During her tenure, Halbert faced a long-standing ouster case filed by Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp, alleging willful neglect of duty ⁵⁸. After years of legal proceedings, including mediation and appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s request to appeal in March 2026, allowing the case to proceed ³¹⁸. A trial date was set for August 24, 2026, which would occur after her term expires ¹⁹. Halbert has publicly defended her record, stating she is not interested in operating outside the law and that her office had previously raised concerns regarding financial matters that were never investigated ⁸⁹.

Career

Before entering elected office, Wanda Halbert served as a legislator on the Memphis Board of Education from 2000 to 2007 ². She subsequently held a seat on the Memphis City Council from 2007 to 2015, becoming the second African American woman in the history of the City of Memphis to be elected to a city-wide office ². During her tenure as a councilwoman, she served as the president of the Memphis Chapter of Parents for Public Schools, a chartered national organization ².

Halbert was first elected as the Shelby County Clerk in 2018 and assumed office that year ¹. She was re-elected to a second term in 2022 ¹⁷. Her current term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 ¹. During her time in office, Halbert has faced public scrutiny regarding administrative issues, including a backlog of license plate applications and allegations of poor management ¹⁵¹⁶.

In response to these controversies, the State of Tennessee filed a petition in May 2024 seeking to remove Halbert from office due to alleged willful neglect of duty ⁵. The legal proceedings involved multiple motions to dismiss, mediation attempts, and appeals that extended through 2025 and into 2026 ³⁴¹⁸. In March 2026, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert's request to appeal a ruling allowing the ouster case to proceed in trial court ¹⁸. A trial date was set for August 24, 2026, though the outcome remains pending as her term approaches its end ¹⁹.

Despite being term-limited from serving a third consecutive term as County Clerk, Halbert filed petitions in early 2026 to run for that position again, as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk ⁶⁷. In the Democratic primary held on May 5, 2026, she lost the nomination for Criminal Court Clerk to Joe Towns Jr. by a margin of 121 votes ¹¹¹⁴. LaSonya Hall subsequently won the Democratic nomination for Shelby County Clerk, while Halbert's bid for County Trustee also did not secure the party's nomination ¹³.

Office history

Wanda Halbert served as a legislator on the Memphis Board of Education from 2000 to 2007 ². She was subsequently elected to the Memphis City Council in 2007, serving until 2015 ². During her tenure as a councilwoman, she held leadership roles including President of the Memphis City Schools’ Board and President of the Memphis Chapter of Parents for Public Schools ². Halbert became the second African American woman elected to a city-wide office in Memphis history ².

Halbert was elected Shelby County Clerk in 2018, assuming office that year with a term ending on September 1, 2026 ¹. She was re-elected to a second consecutive term in 2022 ¹². Her responsibilities include managing county records and licensing, though her tenure has been marked by scrutiny over administrative backlogs and financial management concerns ¹⁵¹⁶. In August 2024, the State of Tennessee filed a petition seeking her removal from office due to alleged willful neglect of duties ⁵.

The ouster proceedings faced multiple legal hurdles. A Shelby County Circuit Court judge initially dismissed the case in November 2024, ruling that the county attorney lacked the authority to file it through a private firm ²⁰. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals overturned this dismissal in October 2025, and the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert’s subsequent appeal in March 2026 ³¹⁸. The case proceeded to mediation in October 2025 before a trial date was set for August 24, 2026 ⁴¹⁹. Halbert has stated she will not apologize for her actions and intends to follow the law ⁹.

Despite being term-limited from serving a third consecutive term as County Clerk, Halbert filed petitions in early 2026 to run for that office again, as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk ⁶⁷. In the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, she lost the race for Criminal Court Clerk to Joe Towns Jr. by a margin of 121 votes ¹¹¹⁴. She also lost the Democratic nomination for Shelby County Clerk to LaSonya Hall in the same primary ¹³.

Documented disputes and controversies

Halbert faced a significant legal challenge when Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp filed a petition in May 2024 to remove her from office for "willful neglect to perform a duty enjoined upon the Shelby County Clerk by the laws of the State of Tennessee" ⁵. The petition was subsequently pursued by Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Iverson, who had initially filed the ouster case before disqualifying herself due to a conflict of interest and hiring a private law firm to continue the effort ²⁰. Halbert’s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the petition, arguing that the statute did not allow a private firm to bring such a case after the county attorney disqualified herself ⁹²⁰.

In September 2024, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson dismissed the ouster petition, ruling that the court would not pursue default against Halbert and that the statute did not permit the manner in which the case was filed by the private firm ¹⁰²⁰. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals later overruled this dismissal in October 2025, allowing the case to move forward ¹⁸. Halbert appealed this ruling to the Tennessee Supreme Court, but the court denied her request to appeal in March 2026, clearing the path for the case to return to trial court ³¹⁸.

Following the appeals court decision, the ouster case entered mediation in October 2025 before a trial date was set for August 24, 2026 ⁴¹⁹. Halbert publicly defended her record during this period, stating at a press conference that she was "not going to apologize for not operating outside of the law" and asserting that her office had repeatedly sounded the alarm regarding financial concerns that were never investigated by county or state entities ⁸⁹.

In addition to the ouster proceedings, Halbert engaged in a contentious electoral dispute regarding term limits. Despite being term-limited from serving more than two consecutive terms as County Clerk under Section 5.25 of the county charter, Halbert pulled petitions to run for re-election to that office as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Criminal Court Clerk in the May 2026 primary ⁶⁷¹². She ultimately lost the Democratic nomination for Criminal Court Clerk by a margin of 121 votes to Joe Towns Jr. in the primary election ¹¹¹⁴.

Sources