Category: Elections

Voting in local elections is vitally important because it’s where we can make the most impact. This year in particular, we have an opportunity in Memphis to set a course for the future of our city – to decide whether we will preserve the status quo or whether we will move Memphis forward by electing progressive leadership that truly represents the interests and values of our community, no matter what neighborhood they might live in. That’s why we need to vote.

It’s no secret that alongside Memphis’ great history of civil rights activism is a long and troubled history of racism and poverty, crime and violence. The City of Memphis has not been “in the business of funding education,” as we are so often told by members of our City Council. In 2014, the city budget went from investing $65 million in K-12 education to $0. By comparison, our budget for police is over $270 million. These same elected officials seem dumbfounded about how to address our city’s issues of crime and poverty, particularly among our young people. Unfortunately, these are not issues that can be policed away.I’m a new Text block ready for your content.

As we close out our Bicentennial year, Memphis must look forward and decide what kind of legacy we want to leave to our children and future generations. That’s why this election is so important. We have an opportunity to change the tide and begin to address these issues with a plan for the future that includes real, substantial funding for the education of all our young people. That starts with electing leadership that is committed to equity and will stand for our children!

Sign the pledge to vote in the Memphis city election and make sure your voice is heard!

Early voting is underway and will run through Saturday, September 28.

Election Day is Thursday, October 3! Please encourage your friends, family members, and co-workers to get out and vote! The future of our City and our young people depend upon it!

Every election season, I take my children with me to the polls. I show them how the process works and tell them who I’m supporting and why. I explain how people before them made great sacrifices so that we could have the right to vote.

For generations, women and people of color in this country were denied a voice. And still today, there are some elected officials who try to stop us from exercising our right.

Don’t let them win. Vote!

I hope my kids – once they turn 18 – never take their right to vote for granted. I hope you won’t either.

At such a critical time in our country, voting is a simple yet powerful way to make your voice heard. It really can make a difference for your children and your community.  

With all that’s going on right now in Memphis, in Tennessee, and across the U.S., we can’t afford to be silent.

For too long in America’s past, entire groups of people were denied a say. This election, let’s all use our voices to write America’s future.

Make a plan to vote today.

With early voting for the Shelby County general election in full swing, now is a good time to reflect on the importance of voting and the role that it plays in shaping our communities – present and future. Politics at every level can often play out more like a poorly written television drama than the solemn workings of a democracy, so it is easy to become cynical or apathetic about it all and believe that your vote won’t make a difference. However, the results of local elections have a particularly big impact on our daily lives. 

On August 2, we will be electing the people who will set the policies and budgets for everything from land use, transportation, and public infrastructure to affordable housing, economic development, and public health. And, of course, public education. Our four Momentum Memphis platform areas, for example, are issues that are largely determined at the local level and will therefore be directly affected by the county election results.

As you head to the polls, remember that your vote is more than a numerical unit toward the overall sum. It is an affirmation of the principles of democracy and a direct, personal statement about how you want your community to be – not just for yourself, but for your children. It is an opportunity to convey your concerns and priorities to the people who can ultimately do something about them. It is an essential supplement to the advocacy work that you already do. If those reasons don’t already convince you, here’s one more – the simplest and most compelling reason that we can come up with:

Vote because you can.

Early voting continues through Saturday, July 28. Election Day is Thursday, August 2. Don’t miss your opportunity to make an impact.

Learn more about the power of your vote in our extended edition, “Because You Can.”

Stand for Children Tennessee proudly endorses the following slate of education champions in the Shelby County general election on August 2, 2018.

Shelby County Mayor: Lee Harris

Shelby County Board of Commissioners:

Mark Billingsley, District 4

Michael Whaley, District 5

Willie Brooks, Jr., District 6

Tami Sawyer, District 7

Mickell Lowery, District 8

Reginald Milton, District 10

Eddie Jones, Jr., District 11

Van Turner, District 12

Brandon Morrison, District 13

These candidates were selected by a diverse committee of dedicated, passionate students, parents, and community leaders through a multi-part endorsement process. Each of them have demonstrated a deep understanding of the issues that affect local students and families and have been identified as advocates who will make funding decisions that prioritize the educational needs of Shelby County’s youth.

Their commitment to improving student academic achievement and helping all young people reach their full potential will make them ideal allies in our mission to ensure that all children graduate from high school prepared for college or a career. Now is the time to elect education champions who share our commitment to the future success of our community’s youth.

Get ready for the Shelby County general election by registering to vote — or updating your registration — by July 3, 2018. Beat the crowd and cast your vote early during the early voting period, July 13-28. The date of the general election is August 2.

Make your voice heard on Election Day.

Challenging entrenched incumbent officials is a daunting task, but several courageous leaders across this city stepped up to the plate. Each of them ran respectful, thoughtful, and vigorous campaigns, and each of them made us incredibly proud to support them. Tonight those candidates fell short of victory, but we are prouder than ever of the leadership they’ve shown.

These races have been hard-fought and at times trying for all candidates and their supporters. That’s because the stakes for 86,000 students are so high. At Stand, we believed new leadership was of the utmost importance to improving outcomes for students, and we devoted enormous time, energy, and resources to electing that new leadership. But no one’s support could match the heart and soul that these candidates, their families and supporters poured into these races.

Now the campaigns are over, and we are committed to finding common ground. We should work together to support Dr. Shawn Joseph’s vision, ensure that there is a high-quality school in every neighborhood, and ensure that schools and families have the resources they need from pre-K through graduation. We should all work towards the same goal: a high-quality education for every child in Nashville.

Stand for Children is committed to ensuring that every child in Tennessee has access to, and is prepared for, a college education. This is why we support experienced, dedicated, and focused leaders who are committed to innovation in education and aligned with our vision to make quality public education available to all children.

In this year’s upcoming election, stand with these candidates in your district:

Christy Sigler (District 34) – As a lawyer specializing in child welfare, she is committed to fight for high education standards.

Beth Cox (District 45) – With a proven track record of working for students as the Chairman of the Sumner County Board of Education, she is focus on finding and retaining the best teachers for our children.

Will Lockhart (District 47) – As the husband of a kindergarten teacher, he has made high quality public education a top priority and understands the importance of working to close the achievement gap.

Sam Whitson (District 65) – With 5 grandchildren in Tennessee public schools, his focus is on college and career readiness for all students.

How do we know that these candidates will be a stand-out voice for our children?

We endorsed them after reviewing their responses to a candidate survey, conducting phone interviews, and reaching consensus within Stand for Children Tennessee’s Statewide Endorsement Committee. 

Help us spread the word that these candidates speak for us on education and stand with us to ensure that every child receives the education they deserve.

 Stay tuned for more information about the 2016 election!

Why wait until November 4th to vote?  Who knows what will come up that day – work is busy, your kid is sick – you run around all day and then all of a sudden the day is over and you missed the window to make it to the polls. Trust me, I’ve been there. So I ask again, why wait until November 4th to vote when you can vote early?

It’s simple – just find the the closest early voting site here.  Early voting is open until October 30th.

And don’t forget, we have endorsed seven education champions who we think will go to Nashville and be advocates for kids and schools.  

If you’re in their district, I urge you to give them your vote!

**Paid for by the Stand PAC of Tennessee**