Ariel Cobbert, The Commercial Appeal
The head of the Shelby County Democratic Party is seeking censures against both Memphis City Mayor Jim Strickland and Shelby County Commissioner Edmund Ford Jr.
In two letters sent Friday to the Shelby County Democratic Party’s grievance and resolution committee chairpersons, SCDP Chairwoman Lexie Carter writes that she has received complaints about Strickland due to “endorsing and supporting Republican Candidates that are running against bona fide Democrats in both partisan and non-partisan races” and Ford due to a “consistent voting record that is against the principles and platform of the Democratic Party.”
“We believe that Elected Officials who identify as Democrats should adhere to the criteria of bona fide Democrats and refrain from public endorsements of Republican or other than Democrat Candidates,” Carter wrote in the letter regarding Strickland.
The censures, if approved, would not allow Ford or Strickland to run on a Democratic ballot in future elections without first having a hearing with the party.
Strickland is in his final months as mayor, with Mayor-elect Paul Young scheduled to be sworn in Jan. 1. Strickland took office as mayor in 2016, winning reelection in 2019. Strickland was previously censured and removed by the party in 2022.
Strickland once chaired the Shelby County Democratic Party. He is a moderate Democrat who holds a nonpartisan office.
He has several times endorsed candidates running against Democrats in both local and state offices, including Brent Taylor, who won his election for State Senate District 31, and more recently Philip Spinosa, who won his race for Memphis City Council earlier this month.
The letter from Carter references Strickland’s endorsements of both Taylor and Spinosa.
Ford Jr., in addition to being a county commissioner since 2018, is an employee of the City of Memphis, where he is senior financial literacy coordinator. From 2008-18 he was a member of the Memphis City Council.
In a contentious nomination process earlier this year, Ford abstained from voting for Commissioner Miska Clay Bibbs for commission chair. Clay Bibbs’ chairmanship was preferred by most Democrats, while Commissioner Amber Mills was supported by the Republicans. While two other Democrats initially abstained alongside Ford, they ended up supporting Clay Bibbs, while Ford did not. At one point, things became so contentious that then-chair Mickell Lowery threatened to remove Ford from the room.
Ford has also been under a years-long investigation into his financial dealings.
The criminal investigation was launched after The Commercial Appeal in 2020 reported how Ford ushered a $450,000 grant to a nonprofit, also selling them computers, a business interest he did not disclose.
The criminal investigation began in the spring of 2021 after then-District Attorney General Amy Weirich recused herself and Attorney General Robert Carter of District 17 was appointed.
The FBI served a court-authorized search warrant at Ford’s home in May.
A representative of District 17 confirmed to The CA Thursday that the investigation is ongoing.
The letter regarding Ford did not mention his criminal investigation, but did describe his lack of support for Clay Bibbs as chair.
It also said Carter had received reports of Ford “repeatedly creat(ing) a combative atmosphere and division between Democrats because of a personal vendetta against County Mayor Lee Harris, a fellow Democrat.”
Carter told The CA that if the resolution for censure is approved by both committees, it will go to the state primary board.
Neither Ford nor Strickland could immediately be reached for comment Friday afternoon.
Katherine Burgess covers Memphis City Government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kathsburgess.
