{"age":46,"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nTamika L. Abrum is a Democratic candidate running for the Tennessee Senate District 33 seat in the 2026 election [1]. She qualified for the August 6, 2026, primary ballot following the March 10, 2026, filing deadline established by the Tennessee Secretary of State [2][3]. Abrum is one of several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination in a cycle that includes major statewide contests such as the open gubernatorial race [7].\n\nAbedum's campaign has been marked by public disputes with fellow Memphis-Shelby County Schools board member Towanna Murphy. The two have accused each other of harassment, with Murphy filing a temporary restraining order against Abrum and later pushing back against the allegations in media interviews [6]. These tensions occurred amidst broader calls from parents and advocates for a state takeover of the school district due to concerns over its accountability plan [5].\n\n## Career\n\nTamika Abrum is a community activist and former member of the Memphis-Shelby County Schools board [4]. She has been involved in public advocacy regarding education policy, including participating in demonstrations where parents and advocates called for a state takeover of the district to address academic struggles [5].\n\nA legal dispute occurred between Abrum and fellow MSCS board member Towanna Murphy, involving mutual accusations of harassment and a temporary restraining order filed by Abrum against Murphy [6].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Tennessee elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Tennessee_elections,_2026)\n[2] [Candidate Lists | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/2026-candidate-lists)\n[3] [Elections Calendar | Tennessee Secretary of State](https://sos.tn.gov/elections/calendar)\n[4] [MSCS board member subject of restraining order | Education | fox13memphis.com](https://www.fox13memphis.com/education/only-on-fox13-mscs-board-member-subject-of-restraining-order/article_4453851e-e66e-46e7-a627-3d8489ea5546.html)\n[5] [Parents, advocates call for state takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/education/parents-advocates-call-for-state-takeover-of-memphis-shelby-county-schools/522-bf5b3d90-4b26-4db9-bb3d-29f5ea093594)\n[6] [Towanna Murphy pushes back on restraining order filed against her](https://wreg.com/news/mscs-board-member-towanna-murphy-pushes-back-on-restraining-order-filing/)\n[7] [Tennessee's 2026 candidate lists finalized for state and federal races \u2022 Tennessee Lookout](https://tennesseelookout.com/briefs/tennessees-2026-candidate-lists-finalized-for-state-and-federal-races/)","birthdate":"Sat, 25 Aug 1979 00:00:00 GMT","campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_33","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Thu, 06 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"primary","state":"TN","title":"Tennessee Senate District 33"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"Tamika","fullname":"Tamika L. Abrum","lastname":"Abrum","middlename":"L.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_33","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 33","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_33","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"}],"county":null,"cycles":[{"general":null,"party":"D","primary":{"contest":"tennessee_senate_district_33","contest_title":"Tennessee Senate District 33","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-08-06","office_county":null,"office_key":"state_senate_33","office_title":null,"party":"D","pgr":"primary","state":"TN"},"term":null,"year":2026}],"office_key":"state_senate_33","office_title":"Tennessee Senate District 33","state":"TN","terms":[]}],"summary":"Tamika L. Abrum is identified as a Memphis community activist and former MSCS board member involved in a restraining order dispute with Towanna Murphy.","terms":[],"token":"65fBsPrqSA"}