{"campaigns":[{"candidatename":"Joe Brown","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk Joe Brown has been married to his beautiful wife Jeanette for 57 years and they have two accomplished daughters, Stacy and Joe Nicole. He also has one grandson named Christopher currently attending the University of Memphis. He considers his love for God and his family as his highest accomplishments ever achieved. Clerk Brown is a lifelong Memphian that grew up in South Memphis. He attended Booker T. Washington High School and received higher education at Tennessee State University. He is the Founder, President, and CEO of Empire Chemical Supply Company Incorporated.\n\nMr. Brown was elected to 5 terms. A combined 21 years by the citizens of Super District 8, Position 1 to serve as their representative on the Memphis City Council from 1998 until 2019. While on the council he sponsored ordinances in regards to the Living Wage, the ordinance requiring independent living facilities to provide life safety equipment in all of their buildings, and a resolution renaming the main library for Reverend Benjamin Hooks to name a few. As he served on the housing committee, he is also responsible for affordable housing, He has been a strong supporter of organized labor and he has served as a union steward.\n\nMr. Brown is President of the North Memphis Business Association; Board membership includes North Memphis Concerned Citizens, the Kennedy Democratic Organization, Case Management, Tennessee Technology Institute, Honorary board member of the Coalition of Black Employees, a lifetime member of the NAACP, and the loafers Incorporated.\n\nMr. Brown has been honored with many awards including the Silver Star Black Achievers Award, Black Business Association Benny Award, Stellar Award, Father of the Year Award, Dr.Martin Luther King Jr. Award, Community Leadership Award, National Small Business Award, Christian Men of Distinction Award, Outstanding Business Associate of the Year Award, VECA Public Service Award, The Stone Award, and the Nat Turner Award.","firstname":"Joe","lastname":"Brown","middlename":"W","suffix":null,"token":"95tNmv2RT8"},"token":"joe_brown"},{"candidatename":"Lisa Arnold","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"R","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\nLisa Arnold is a candidate for Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk [1].\n\n## Background and education\nArnold earned a Computer Operations degree from State Technical Institute at Memphis and a paralegal certification from Christian Brothers University [4]. She is also a certified EMT [4]. She participated in the County Officials Training Certificate program at the University of Tennessee [4].\n\n## Career\nArnold has over 33 years of experience in the Criminal and General Sessions Court Clerk offices [4]. She began working in General Sessions at age 15 during the summer, and joined full time after high school graduation [4]. She held positions including Deputy Court Clerk, Chief Principal Clerk, Customer Service Supervisor, Grand Jury Supervisor, Collections Supervisor, Finance Coordinator, and Manager of Finance [4].\n\nArnold served in management roles under both Democratic and Republican clerks, including Minerva Johnican and Edward Stanton [4]. Under Clerk Stanton, she managed the Finance Department at General Sessions Court and was the only Republican serving in an appointed position [4]. She implemented the Garnishment and Bankruptcy departments to collect unpaid court costs and fines [4].\n\n## Family\nArnold is a two-time breast cancer survivor and is now cancer free [4]. She is a member of Christ Church Bartlett [4].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Wake Up Memphis](https://omny.fm/shows/wake-up-memphis/shelby-county-general-sessions-court-clerk-candida)\n[2] [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/lisa.arnold.3597)\n[3] [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisa-arnold-7954331a1/)\n[4] [Campaign Site](https://lisaarnoldforclerk.com/)\n","firstname":"Lisa","lastname":"Arnold","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"YN4S4mhwj5"},"token":"lisa_arnold"},{"candidatename":"Shelandra Yvette Ford","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Democratic candidate for **Shelby County Register of Deeds** in the May 5, 2026 primary. Campaign sites from prior runs include reelectshelandrayford.com and [justmymemphis.com/shelandraford](https://justmymemphis.com/shelandraford). ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Shelandra_Ford))\n\n- On deed fraud: *\"Fraudulent deed filing is up by 33%. We have people's homes being stolen in the middle of the night.\"* ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3780))\n- On the archives: *\"I literally walked into the archives and found permanent records in garbage bags.\"* ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3780))\n- *\"I lead with integrity and transparency. Being an elected official isn't about being in a clique or a fraternity; it's about reporting to work every day and doing what you said you were going to do.\"* ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3780))\n\n---\n\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18.*\n\n## Background and education\n- Bachelor's degree, Bethel University (Tennessee) \u2014 reported as B.S. in Management and Organizational Development. ([Shelby County Register's office bio](https://register.shelby.tn.us/?page_id=1186))\n\n- Memphis native. Describes herself as a single parent raising three grandchildren. ([JustMyMemphis](https://justmymemphis.com/view-post/1546))\n\n## Career\n- 24+ years in Shelby County government, including work with the Shelby County Health Department and 6.5 years as principal court clerk at General Sessions.\n- Currently Deputy Treasurer for the City of Memphis (as of 2024 reporting). ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-running-general-sessions-court-110642666.html))\n\n## Office history\n- **Shelby County Register of Deeds, 2018\u20132022.** First elected African American and first woman elected to the office. Lost the May 3, 2022 Democratic primary for re-election to Willie F. Brooks, Jr. ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Shelandra_Ford), [JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3780))\n- As Register, created a free property fraud alert program, opened satellite offices (Downtown, Southbrook Mall), upgraded office systems to enable e-filing, and lobbied the state to allow ID requirements for deed filings. ([JustMyMemphis](https://www.justmymemphis.com/view-post/3780))\n- In November 2019 publicly clashed with the Shelby County Commission over archives staffing funding. ([Daily Memphian](https://dailymemphian.com/article/8949/funding-demands-for-shelby-county-register-of))\n\n- 2024 Democratic primary for Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk \u2014 lost to Tami Sawyer. ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Shelandra_Ford), [Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-running-general-sessions-court-110642666.html))\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [Register of Deeds (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=FORD&id=77694&f=197763&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [General Sessions Court Clerk (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=FORD&id=77694&f=175373&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","firstname":"Shelandra","lastname":"Ford","middlename":"Yvette","suffix":null,"token":"S4kCDkf37q"},"token":"shelandra_yvette_ford"},{"candidatename":"Rheunte E. Benson","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n- Democratic candidate for **Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk** in the May 5, 2026 primary. ([SCEC Final Candidate List, May 5 2026](https://electionsshelbytn.gov/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Final-Candidate-List-May-5-2026-Election.pdf))\n\n- General Sessions Criminal Administrator, Shelby County clerk's office. ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-running-general-sessions-court-110642666.html))\n- Listed in the National Association for Court Management *The Court Manager* new-members directory (Vol. 34, No. 3, Fall 2019) as \"Administrator of General Sessions Criminal Court, Memphis, Tennessee.\" ([NACM](https://thecourtmanager.org/new-members/?issue=vol-34-3-fall-2019))\n\nFrom her 2024 campaign, which focused on a closely related office:\n\n- Improving customer service and community access.\n- Upgrading technology, including e-filing. In 2024 she noted: *\"Shelby County (general sessions) is one of the largest court systems and we have yet to get into e-filing.\"* ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-running-general-sessions-court-110642666.html))\n- Completing a case-management system for the criminal division and advancing a new system for the civil division. ([Q&A](https://www.yahoo.com/news/shelby-county-general-sessions-court-110949557.html))\n\n---\n\n*Compiled from publicly available web sources on 2026-04-18. The 2026 race (Criminal Court Clerk) is a distinct office from her 2020 and 2024 runs (General Sessions Court Clerk). Education and family background were not located in online sources.*\n\n## Career\n- Per her own campaign statements, 30 years of experience in the General Sessions Court Clerk's Office / court operations and leadership. ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo, Q&A](https://www.yahoo.com/news/shelby-county-general-sessions-court-110949557.html))\n\n## Office history\n- **2020 Democratic primary**, Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk \u2014 lost to incumbent Joe Brown. ([Commercial Appeal via Yahoo](https://www.yahoo.com/news/heres-running-general-sessions-court-110642666.html), [Memphis Flyer](https://www.memphisflyer.com/two-2020-races-generate-a-flood-of-candidates-in-shelby-county))\n- **2024 Democratic primary**, Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk \u2014 lost to Tami Sawyer in a multi-candidate field that included incumbent Joe Brown and Shelandra Ford. ([Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Rheunte_Benson), [Tri-State Defender](https://tri-statedefender.com/incumbent-joe-brown-and-tami-sawyer-on-course-to-vie-for-general-sessions-court-clerk/11/15/))\n- Prior campaigns used [electbensonforclerk.com](https://electbensonforclerk.com/) and the Facebook page [facebook.com/BensonforClerk2020](https://www.facebook.com/BensonforClerk2020/). The campaign site was not reachable during this research.\n\n## Business interests and wealth source\n- **2026** \u2014 [Criminal Court Clerk (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=BENSON&id=86312&f=198103&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [General Sessions Court Clerk (SS-8005)](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=BENSON&id=86312&f=172815&v=1) \u2014 filed as a Shelby County official/candidate\n- **2024** \u2014 [General Sessions Court Clerk (SS-8005 (Amended))](https://conflict.app.tn.gov/conflict/view_form_8005.htm?name=BENSON&id=86312&f=172815&v=2) \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","firstname":"Rheunte","lastname":"Benson","middlename":"E.","suffix":null,"token":"fGsKWl6zwy"},"token":"rheunte_e_benson"},{"candidatename":"Tami Sawyer","chatgptsummary":null,"notes":"","party":"D","person":{"biography":"[https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamisawyer/](https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamisawyer/)\n\n[https://www.instagram.com/tamisawyer901/](https://www.instagram.com/tamisawyer901/)\n\n[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tami_Sawyer](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tami_Sawyer)\n\n\nTami Sawyer is a former Shelby County Commissioner. A recognized civil rights activist, Tami holds an MA in Communications and is pursuing a Ph.D. in public policy. She previously held leadership positions with Black Voters Matter and Teach for America Memphis. \n\nIn 2017, Tami founded #TakeEmDown901, the successful movement to remove Confederate statues from Memphis. She is featured in the award-winning Netflix documentary Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America with Jeff Robinson. \n\nTami has provided commentary on outlets such as Al Jazeera, CNN, Essence, Forbes, Huffington Post, MLK50, MSNBC, NPR, Roland Martin, and Time. Tami is a TEDx speaker.\n\nTami has been highly recognized for her public service. In 2022, she was named Young Elected Official of the Year by People For the American Way and was featured on the Reckon South List. In 2018, Tami was included on the Ebony Power 100 List. \n\nTami is a national governing board member of Common Cause. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and The Links, Inc. She is co-founder of the George Floyd Legal Defense Fund of the NAACP Memphis.\n\nTami loves spending time with her cat and two nieces. She enjoys good music, dystopian literature, and building LEGO architecture sets.\n","firstname":"Tami","lastname":"Sawyer","middlename":null,"suffix":null,"token":"zzJyxuwe5y"},"token":"tami_sawyer"}],"choices":null,"description":"","district":"shelby","districtgroup":"county","districtgroupname":"County","districtname":null,"job_type":"general_sessions_clerk","o.office":"general_sessions_court_clerk","office":"general_sessions_court_clerk","officedescription":"The general-sessions court clerk keeps the records of the general-sessions court \u2014 small civil claims, landlord-tenant, misdemeanors, and preliminary hearings \u2014 a high-volume court \u2014 and collects court costs and fines.","officequalities":"- Maintains records of the General Sessions Court \u2014 civil claims under the statutory cap, landlord-tenant, small claims, plus misdemeanors and preliminary felony hearings.\n- 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.\n- Working knowledge of the relevant court's docket, fee schedule, and pleading requirements.\n- Financial controls for collecting and disbursing court costs, fines, restitution, bonds, and trust funds \u2014 with public accountability.\n- Supervision of a clerical staff handling high case volume and frequent statutory deadlines.\n- Administrative reliability \u2014 the office's filings are legally binding and its records are evidence.","officeterm":4,"officetitle":"General Sessions Court Clerk","partisan":1,"pgr":"primary","quantity":1,"referendum":"","source":null,"title":"General Sessions Court Clerk"}