Pamela Murray

Current office and 2026 campaign

Pamela "Pam" Murray ran for Davidson County Clerk in the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, campaigning on her "long record in local politics and nonprofit leadership" and pledging enhanced transparency, satellite services, and language access for services such as vehicle registration and marriage licenses ¹. She finished third of three candidates with 5,319 votes (12.85%); Sharon Hurt won the nomination with 19,440 votes (46.98%) and Freda Player finished second with 16,619 votes (40.16%) ⁴. Because no Republican qualified for the office, Hurt's primary win effectively decided the general election.

Career

Murray describes her professional background as "a social worker and program director" ¹. She has run for local office repeatedly since being recalled from Metro Council: Register of Deeds in 2018 (won by Karen Johnson), Metro Council in 2015 and 2019, and Circuit Court Clerk in 2022, where she received 23 percent of the vote in a three-way primary ¹⁵.

Office history

Murray represented East Nashville's District 5 on the Metro Council before being recalled by voters on November 12, 2009, by a 542-540 vote - the first successful council recall in Nashville's history ². The recall followed a NewsChannel 5 report that Murray was working at a methadone clinic in Detroit, Michigan, raising questions about whether she met Metro's residency requirement for her district ². Recall organizer Jamie Hollin also described her as "unresponsive to constituents" ².

Documented disputes and controversies

Murray sued recall organizer Jamie Hollin and others for defamation over statements made during the recall campaign. The Tennessee Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for the defendants on December 10, 2012, finding that Murray - a public figure - had not produced sufficient evidence of "actual malice" to survive summary judgment ³.

Sources