← Back to Shelby County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-05-05
Contest for Probate Court Clerk
County
Shelby County
primary - Partisan - Probate Court Clerk
About this office
The Probate Court Clerk manages records and administrative services for the Shelby County Probate Court, which handles guardianships and conservatorships, estates, wills, trusts, name changes, corrections to birth certificates, and judicial hospitalizations under Tennessee's Mental Health Law.
Term length: 4 years.
This role calls for
- Maintains records of the Probate Court โ wills, estates, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental-health commitments. Handles trust-fund accounting for estates passing through the court.
- Records management for the court served by this clerk's office, in conformity with Tennessee Rules of Civil/Criminal Procedure and the orders of the assigned judges.
- Working knowledge of the relevant court's docket, fee schedule, and pleading requirements.
- Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, restitution, bonds, and trust funds โ with public accountability.
- Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.
- Administrative reliability โ the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.
Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.
Campaigns
Democratic Primary
2 candidates
William Chism, Jr.
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Chism ran in the 2026 Democratic primary for Shelby County Probate Court Clerk, facing incumbent Eddie Jones. He previously lost the 2022 Democratic primary, securing 29.0% of the vote (13,283 votes). The general election is scheduled for August 6, 2026. This record demonstrates political engagement and prior electoral experience within Shelby Countyโs probate jurisdiction. However, the biography provides no information regarding his professional background in records management, financial controls, or supervision of clerical staff. It also lacks details on his education, family, or specific knowledge of Tennessee court docket procedures and statutory deadlines.
Eddie Jones
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Jones chaired the Budget and Finance Committee for three years, demonstrating financial oversight relevant to trust-fund accounting and public accountability. His fourteen-and-a-half-year tenure as a Code Enforcement Supervisor involved enforcing state laws and city ordinances, providing direct experience with statutory compliance and administrative reliability. Service on the Shelby County Board of Commissioners, including election as Chairman in 2020, indicates familiarity with local government operations and supervisory responsibilities for clerical staff. His background includes Human Resources and Operations administration, supporting management of high-volume workflows.