{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Candidate for Memphis-Shelby County School Board, District 6 in the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-6/))\n\n- One of five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for the seat held by former teachers union leader Keith Williams since 2022. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-6/))\n- Campaign site: [voteharris901.com](https://voteharris901.com/)\n- Signature initiative is \"The Third Grade Standard,\" aiming to increase third-grade reading proficiency by 10% within two academic years. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n- Endorsed by the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, labor union Memphis AFSCME Local 1733, and city council member Pearl Eva Walker. ([Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n\n## Background and education\n- Product of Memphis\u2013Shelby County Schools. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n- LeMoyne-Owen College alumnus. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n- University of Memphis Political Science graduate. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n- LSU MBA Candidate, Class of 2027. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n\n## Career\n- Healthcare executive and Managing Partner of Whitehaven Family Healthcare (also referred to as Walhaven Family Healthcare or Memphis Family Healthcare). ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/); [Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n- 2024 Leaders of Color Graduate. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n\n## Office history\n- Served as a Memphis police officer two decades ago. ([Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n- Led a youth violence prevention program for three years. ([Chalkbeat](https://www.chalkbeat.org/tennessee/2026/04/14/voter-guide-memphis-shelby-county-schools-board-election-district-6/))\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n- Pleaded guilty in 2006 to attempting to possess with the intent to distribute at least five kilograms of cocaine while serving as a city police officer. ([Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n- Sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and 60 months on supervised release; supervised release was terminated early in 2013. ([Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n- Qualified to run for office after having his civil rights restored in a local court. ([Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/past-cocaine-conviction-a-campaign-smear-says-school-board-candidate/))\n\n\n\n---\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.*\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [School Board (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=HARRIS&id=103879&f=201007&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n\n*Source: [Tennessee Ethics Commission Statement of Interest Search](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/search.htm). Scraped 2026-04-25.*\n\n## Family\n- 30+ year Whitehaven resident. ([Campaign Site](https://voteharris901.com/))\n","campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_6","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"Tue, 05 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT","pgr":"general","state":"TN","title":"County School Board District 6"}],"cf_filings":[],"firstname":"T.","fullname":"T. L. Harris","lastname":"Harris","middlename":"L.","office_history":[{"campaigns":[{"contest":"county_school_board_district_6","contest_title":"County School Board District 6","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"county_school_board_division_6","office_title":"County School Board Division 6","party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"}],"county":"shelby","cycles":[{"general":{"contest":"county_school_board_district_6","contest_title":"County School Board District 6","county":"shelby","county_count":1,"electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"county_school_board_division_6","office_title":"County School Board Division 6","party":"D","pgr":"general","state":"TN"},"party":"D","primary":null,"term":{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"county_school_board_division_6","office_title":"County School Board Division 6","party":"","state":"TN","term_end":"2030-09-01","term_start":"2026-09-01"},"year":2026}],"office_key":"county_school_board_division_6","office_title":"County School Board Division 6","state":"TN","terms":[{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2026-05-05","office_county":"shelby","office_key":"county_school_board_division_6","office_title":"County School Board Division 6","party":"","state":"TN","term_end":"2030-09-01","term_start":"2026-09-01"}]}],"terms":[{"county":"shelby","electiondate":"2026-05-05","office":"county_school_board_division_6","state":"TN","term_end":"2030-09-01","term_start":"2026-09-01","title":"County School Board Division 6"}],"token":"8mn7tjtyxC"}