Jerri Green

Current office and 2026 campaign

Jerri Green currently serves as a member of the Memphis City Council for District 2, having assumed office on January 1, 2024 ¹. In January 2026, she was appointed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris as the Interim Chief Public Defender, beginning her transition into the role on January 12, 2026 ³. Green is a candidate for Governor of Tennessee in the 2026 election, running as a member of the Democratic Party ¹. She officially announced her candidacy on July 14, 2025, stating that she plans to "win" the race and bring change to state politics ¹¹.

Green’s campaign platform emphasizes issues affecting working families, including education, wages, and public safety ¹⁵. She has highlighted her personal experience as a mother of three, noting that her youngest child is autistic, which motivates her push for special education reforms ¹⁸. Her stated policy priorities include strengthening special education programs and ending what she describes as "welfare for the wealthy" ¹⁸. Green also unveiled a "Day One Plan" aimed at providing immediate relief to Tennesseans, including housing relief through TANF funds ¹⁶.

The candidate has conducted a statewide tour to meet with voters, including stops in Chattanooga and Houston ¹⁰. On her campaign website, Green self-describes as a lawyer, public servant, and educator who aims to lead with "common sense, compassion, and courage" ⁵. She is scheduled to appear on the ballot for the Democratic primary on August 6, 2026 ¹. As of May 2026, the outcome of the general election remains unknown ¹⁹.

Background and education

Jerri Green was born in Memphis, Tennessee ¹. She is a lifelong Tennessean who has lived in Memphis, Nashville, and Knoxville ⁵. Green graduated from White Station High School ¹². She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville ². Green subsequently obtained her Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University School of Law in Washington, D.C. ².

Career

Jerri Green earned a bachelor’s degree in English and Political Science from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University School of Law ¹². She is a licensed attorney in the state of Tennessee and holds memberships in the Memphis Bar Association, the Tennessee Bar Association, and the Association for Women Attorneys ².

Green’s legal career includes service as an educator and as executive director of the Community Legal Center of Memphis ⁵¹⁴. She previously worked with the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office from 2009 to 2010 ⁸. In July 2025, she began serving as Deputy Chief of Staff for Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris ⁶. On January 6, 2026, Mayor Harris appointed Green as the Interim Shelby County Chief Public Defender, with her transition into the role beginning on January 12, 2026 ³⁶. In this capacity, she oversaw an office that handles more than 22,000 cases annually and focused on improving client facilities and community resource visibility ⁶⁹.

Office history

Jerri Green served as an attorney with the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office from 2009 to 2010 ⁸. She later worked for Shelby County Government starting in 2021, where she held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Lee Harris ⁶. In January 2026, Green was appointed by Mayor Harris as the Interim Shelby County Chief Public Defender, a role she began on January 12, 2026, following the retirement of Phyllis Aluko ³⁸.

Green was elected to the Memphis City Council representing District 2 on November 16, 2023, and assumed office on January 1, 2024 ¹². Her current term is scheduled to end on January 1, 2028 ¹.

In July 2025, Green announced her candidacy for Governor of Tennessee as a Democrat ¹¹¹². She is currently running in the Democratic primary scheduled for August 6, 2026 ¹.

Legislative record and accomplishments

As a member of the Memphis City Council representing District 2, Green has focused her legislative agenda on economic stability for working families and public safety reforms. She advocates for living wages and programs to reduce violent crime and gun theft ⁴. During her tenure, she introduced a resolution opposing the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis, urging Governor Bill Lee to reject such proposals in favor of addressing poverty and strengthening families ¹³. Green has also championed healthcare access initiatives, including pioneering an at-home HIV test program and securing funding for Black midwives ⁴.

Green’s policy platform emphasizes expanding public education resources, particularly for special needs students. She supports strengthening special education services, a position influenced by her personal experience raising a child with autism ¹⁸. She asserts that every child in Tennessee deserves quality public education regardless of their ZIP code and argues against abandoning schools ²⁰. Additionally, she has proposed using $10 million in TANF funds to provide immediate housing relief for working families as part of her Day One Plan ¹⁶.

Prior to her 2026 gubernatorial campaign, Green served as the Interim Shelby County Chief Public Defender, a role appointed by Mayor Lee Harris in January 2026 ³. In this capacity, she focused on modernizing the office’s facilities and making it more inviting for clients ⁹. Before her council service, Green worked with the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office from 2009 to 2010 and later served as Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Harris ⁶. She identifies herself as a lawyer and public servant who has fought for working people throughout her career ⁴.

Documented disputes and controversies

Green’s 2026 gubernatorial campaign has been marked by a public challenge to U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn. Green stated her intention to “shake things up” and explicitly told The Tennessee Journal that she planned to “challenge Marsha Blackburn in the fall,” although Blackburn had not formally announced her own campaign at that time ⁷.

As a member of the Memphis City Council, Green introduced a resolution opposing the deployment of the National Guard to Memphis. The resolution urged Governor Bill Lee to reject President Donald Trump’s proposal for such deployment, with Green arguing that “public safety comes from opportunity not occupation” and that sending troops would distract from tackling poverty ¹³.

Green has faced polling deficits in her bid for governor. A survey conducted by Targoz between April 20 and 27, 2026, indicated that Blackburn was leading Green significantly, with a result of 51 percent to 27 percent ¹⁷.

Business interests and wealth source

Jerri Green’s professional background is rooted in law and public service rather than private business ownership or inherited wealth. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a Juris Doctorate from Georgetown University School of Law ². Her career has primarily involved roles within the legal and government sectors, including work as a public defender and in county administration ⁶. Green served with the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office from 2009 to 2010 and later worked for Shelby County Government starting in 2021, where she held the position of Deputy Chief of Staff to Mayor Lee Harris ⁶. In January 2026, she was appointed as the Interim Chief Public Defender for Shelby County ³.

Green self-describes her financial perspective as being shaped by her experience as a working mother and her advocacy for families who struggle to make ends meet ⁴. She states that her personal motivation for entering politics comes from her desire to ensure government serves everyone, not just the powerful or ultra-wealthy ⁴. Green has highlighted her role as a mother of three children, including a child with autism, as central to her understanding of economic and social challenges ¹⁸. Her campaign platform emphasizes fighting for living wages and reducing costs for working families, rather than promoting business interests or wealth accumulation ⁵.

There is no public record in the provided sources indicating that Green owns significant private businesses, holds major corporate ownership stakes, or derives her income from family wealth. Her financial disclosures and professional history focus on her salaries as a lawyer, county employee, and elected official ⁶. Green has positioned herself as an outsider to traditional political fundraising structures, stating she intends to "shake things up" in state politics ⁷. She has not reported sales of major business assets, as her career has been defined by public sector employment and legal practice ¹.

Family

Green self-describes as a "proud mom of three" ⁵. She has publicly identified her children by name as Beau, Vivian, and Wilder ¹⁰. Green states that her youngest child is Autistic and relies on special education programs, a personal experience she cites as motivation for her platform's focus on special education reform ¹⁸.

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