{"county":"shelby","description":"The Shelby County Clerk's office is the busiest transactional office in county government. Its most visible function is the sale of motor-vehicle license plates \u2014 roughly 650,000 per year \u2014 but the Clerk also issues marriage licenses and disabled placards, and handles business-tax registrations. The County Clerk is a separate elected office from the Register of Deeds. The office is governed by state law and the position is limited to two consecutive four-year terms.","district":"Shelby","districtgroup":"county","id":100,"key":"county_clerk","lastchangeby":null,"name":"Wanda Halbert","next_election":"2018-11-08","notes":"110","officegroup":null,"partisan":0,"party":"","qualities":"- Administration of motor-vehicle registration, license plates, marriage licenses, and business-tax registrations for roughly 910,000 residents \u2014 a high-volume operation across a main office and satellite locations.\n- Working knowledge of Tennessee statutes governing each of those functions, which change regularly.\n- Customer-service capacity: the Clerk's office is one of the most-visited county offices by ordinary residents.\n- Financial controls for collecting state and local fees and remitting them accurately.\n- Supervision of a multi-location office staff handling high transaction volume; technology and process management as more services move online.","quantity":1,"source":null,"state":"TN","term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01","term_years":4,"terms":[{"current":1,"description":"","electiondate":"2022-08-04","name":"Wanda Halbert","person":{"biography":"## Current office and 2026 campaign\n\nWanda Halbert, a Democrat, currently serves as the Shelby County Clerk in Tennessee, an office she assumed in 2018 [1]. Her term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 [1]. In the lead-up to the 2026 elections, Halbert filed petitions to run for three county offices: her current position of Shelby County Clerk, as well as Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk [6][7][12]. This multi-office candidacy occurred despite term limits that prohibit a person from serving more than two consecutive terms in the clerk\u2019s office [7][12].\n\nHalbert appeared on the ballot for the Democratic primary on May 5, 2026 [1]. In the race for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk, she lost to Joe Towns Jr. by 121 votes [11][14]. For the Shelby County Clerk position, LaSonya Hall won the Democratic nomination to replace the outgoing Halbert [13]. The general election for these offices is scheduled for August 6, 2026 [1].\n\nDuring her tenure, Halbert faced a long-standing ouster case filed by Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp, alleging willful neglect of duty [5][8]. After years of legal proceedings, including mediation and appeals, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert\u2019s request to appeal in March 2026, allowing the case to proceed [3][18]. A trial date was set for August 24, 2026, which would occur after her term expires [19]. Halbert has publicly defended her record, stating she is not interested in operating outside the law and that her office had previously raised concerns regarding financial matters that were never investigated [8][9].\n\n## Career\n\nBefore entering elected office, Wanda Halbert served as a legislator on the Memphis Board of Education from 2000 to 2007 [2]. She subsequently held a seat on the Memphis City Council from 2007 to 2015, becoming the second African American woman in the history of the City of Memphis to be elected to a city-wide office [2]. During her tenure as a councilwoman, she served as the president of the Memphis Chapter of Parents for Public Schools, a chartered national organization [2].\n\nHalbert was first elected as the Shelby County Clerk in 2018 and assumed office that year [1]. She was re-elected to a second term in 2022 [17]. Her current term is scheduled to end on September 1, 2026 [1]. During her time in office, Halbert has faced public scrutiny regarding administrative issues, including a backlog of license plate applications and allegations of poor management [15][16].\n\nIn response to these controversies, the State of Tennessee filed a petition in May 2024 seeking to remove Halbert from office due to alleged willful neglect of duty [5]. The legal proceedings involved multiple motions to dismiss, mediation attempts, and appeals that extended through 2025 and into 2026 [3][4][18]. In March 2026, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert's request to appeal a ruling allowing the ouster case to proceed in trial court [18]. A trial date was set for August 24, 2026, though the outcome remains pending as her term approaches its end [19].\n\nDespite being term-limited from serving a third consecutive term as County Clerk, Halbert filed petitions in early 2026 to run for that position again, as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk [6][7]. In the Democratic primary held on May 5, 2026, she lost the nomination for Criminal Court Clerk to Joe Towns Jr. by a margin of 121 votes [11][14]. LaSonya Hall subsequently won the Democratic nomination for Shelby County Clerk, while Halbert's bid for County Trustee also did not secure the party's nomination [13].\n\n## Office history\n\nWanda Halbert served as a legislator on the Memphis Board of Education from 2000 to 2007 [2]. She was subsequently elected to the Memphis City Council in 2007, serving until 2015 [2]. During her tenure as a councilwoman, she held leadership roles including President of the Memphis City Schools\u2019 Board and President of the Memphis Chapter of Parents for Public Schools [2]. Halbert became the second African American woman elected to a city-wide office in Memphis history [2].\n\nHalbert was elected Shelby County Clerk in 2018, assuming office that year with a term ending on September 1, 2026 [1]. She was re-elected to a second consecutive term in 2022 [12]. Her responsibilities include managing county records and licensing, though her tenure has been marked by scrutiny over administrative backlogs and financial management concerns [15][16]. In August 2024, the State of Tennessee filed a petition seeking her removal from office due to alleged willful neglect of duties [5].\n\nThe ouster proceedings faced multiple legal hurdles. A Shelby County Circuit Court judge initially dismissed the case in November 2024, ruling that the county attorney lacked the authority to file it through a private firm [20]. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals overturned this dismissal in October 2025, and the Tennessee Supreme Court denied Halbert\u2019s subsequent appeal in March 2026 [3][18]. The case proceeded to mediation in October 2025 before a trial date was set for August 24, 2026 [4][19]. Halbert has stated she will not apologize for her actions and intends to follow the law [9].\n\nDespite being term-limited from serving a third consecutive term as County Clerk, Halbert filed petitions in early 2026 to run for that office again, as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk [6][7]. In the May 5, 2026 Democratic primary, she lost the race for Criminal Court Clerk to Joe Towns Jr. by a margin of 121 votes [11][14]. She also lost the Democratic nomination for Shelby County Clerk to LaSonya Hall in the same primary [13].\n\n## Documented disputes and controversies\n\nHalbert faced a significant legal challenge when Hamilton County District Attorney General Coty Wamp filed a petition in May 2024 to remove her from office for \"willful neglect to perform a duty enjoined upon the Shelby County Clerk by the laws of the State of Tennessee\" [5]. The petition was subsequently pursued by Shelby County Attorney Marlinee Iverson, who had initially filed the ouster case before disqualifying herself due to a conflict of interest and hiring a private law firm to continue the effort [20]. Halbert\u2019s attorney filed a motion to dismiss the petition, arguing that the statute did not allow a private firm to bring such a case after the county attorney disqualified herself [9][20].\n\nIn September 2024, Shelby County Circuit Court Judge Felicia Corbin-Johnson dismissed the ouster petition, ruling that the court would not pursue default against Halbert and that the statute did not permit the manner in which the case was filed by the private firm [10][20]. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals later overruled this dismissal in October 2025, allowing the case to move forward [18]. Halbert appealed this ruling to the Tennessee Supreme Court, but the court denied her request to appeal in March 2026, clearing the path for the case to return to trial court [3][18].\n\nFollowing the appeals court decision, the ouster case entered mediation in October 2025 before a trial date was set for August 24, 2026 [4][19]. Halbert publicly defended her record during this period, stating at a press conference that she was \"not going to apologize for not operating outside of the law\" and asserting that her office had repeatedly sounded the alarm regarding financial concerns that were never investigated by county or state entities [8][9].\n\nIn addition to the ouster proceedings, Halbert engaged in a contentious electoral dispute regarding term limits. Despite being term-limited from serving more than two consecutive terms as County Clerk under Section 5.25 of the county charter, Halbert pulled petitions to run for re-election to that office as well as for Shelby County Trustee and Criminal Court Clerk in the May 2026 primary [6][7][12]. She ultimately lost the Democratic nomination for Criminal Court Clerk by a margin of 121 votes to Joe Towns Jr. in the primary election [11][14].\n\n## Sources\n[1] [Wanda Halbert - Ballotpedia](https://ballotpedia.org/Wanda_Halbert)\n[2] [About Your County Clerk | Shelby County, TN - Official Website](https://www.shelbycountytn.gov/558/About-the-County-Clerk)\n[3] [Ouster case against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert moving forward | News | fox13memphis.com](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/ouster-case-against-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert-moving-forward/article_6ce22d0a-41d6-4f3d-90b7-d5685ed23e49.html)\n[4] [Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert ouster case goes to mediation, court docs say](https://www.actionnews5.com/2025/10/14/judge-orders-mediation-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert-ouster-case/)\n[5] [Trial set for August for ouster case against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/ouster-case-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert-court/522-e39e9a85-597f-4949-93d0-ee025a8c548b)\n[6] [Wanda Halbert signals interest in 3 county races, including clerk](https://wreg.com/news/local/halbert-signals-interest-in-3-county-races-including-clerk/)\n[7] [Shelby County Clerk pulls multiple petitions despite term limit for county clerk](https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/02/17/shelby-county-clerk-pulls-multiple-petitions-despite-term-limit-county-clerk/)\n[8] [State files to remove County Clerk Wanda Halbert from office, Halbert speaks out](https://wreg.com/news/local/state-files-to-remove-wanda-halbert-from-office/)\n[9] [Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert publicly responds to petition that would remove her from office](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert-publicly-responds-to-petition-that-would-remove-her-from-office/522-22f20758-1b45-48d4-8a95-13812649313e)\n[10] [Motion to remove Shelby County Court Clerk Wanda Halbert denied](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/wanda-halbert-memphis-will-stay-in-office/522-98b0247d-d81e-4579-984d-a5ab591ab99b)\n[11] [Towns edges out Halbert by 121 votes in primary | WREG.com](https://wreg.com/news/your-local-election-headquarters/towns-edges-out-halbert-by-121-votes-in-primary/)\n[12] [Wanda Halbert pulls petitions for 3 county election races | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/elections/wanda-halbert-pulls-petitions-for-3-county-election-races/522-30c6c131-67d5-4ddd-8205-5332d90a4929)\n[13] [LaSonya Hall wins Democratic nomination for Shelby County Clerk | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/politics/elections/primary-voters-decide-who-will-run-to-replace-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert/522-dd220766-5472-4833-9c2f-6876dad83c81)\n[14] [Joe Towns Jr. edges out Wanda Halbert for Shelby County Criminal Court Clerk | News | fox13memphis.com](https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/joe-towns-jr-edges-out-wanda-halbert-for-shelby-county-criminal-court-clerk/article_974e4e05-1837-4ff0-8077-39d4c22ad24b.html)\n[15] [Wanda Halbert wins in county clerk race despite recent controversy](https://www.actionnews5.com/2022/08/05/wanda-halbert-leads-county-clerk-race-despite-recent-controversy/)\n[16] [Otis Sanford Point of View: Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/opinion/opinion-otis-sanford-point-of-view-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert/522-b242b9bc-1609-49bd-9548-79966a62ce95)\n[17] [Judge denies motion to remove Wanda Halbert from office](https://wreg.com/news/local/judge-denies-motion-to-remove-clerk-wanda-halbert/)\n[18] [TN Supreme Court denies appeal to dismiss ouster case against Wanda Halbert | localmemphis.com](https://www.localmemphis.com/article/news/local/tn-supreme-court-denies-appeal-to-dismiss-ouster-case-against-wanda-halbert/522-17867126-69a3-4c18-b97b-5cd9e6ad87e2)\n[19] [Halbert ouster case could extend past her term in office](https://www.actionnews5.com/2026/05/01/halbert-ouster-case-could-extend-past-her-term-office/)\n[20] [Ouster case against Shelby County Clerk Wanda Halbert dismissed](https://www.actionnews5.com/2024/11/20/ouster-case-against-shelby-county-clerk-wanda-halbert-dismissed/)","firstname":"Wanda","lastname":"Halbert","token":"0BgMBmV6eV"},"term_end":"2026-09-01","term_start":"2022-09-01"}],"title":"County Clerk","type":"executive","url":null,"whenchanged":"2026-04-25 19:49:19"}