Memphis and Shelby County voters are staring down a seriously packed sheriff’s race this spring. Five Democrats and two Republicans will be on the May primary ballot, all pitching themselves as the one to fix what they say is a strained and aging system. At the center of the fight: the condition of the county jail at 201 Poplar, chronic staffing shortages inside the sheriff’s office, and how the next sheriff will work with city and federal partners on public safety.
The conversations at early forums have zeroed in on nuts-and-bolts questions. How do you manage a troubled jail? How do you recruit and keep deputies when the vacancies keep climbing? And what exactly should the sheriff’s office be doing alongside the Memphis Safe Task Force?
Who’s on the ballot
According to the Shelby County Election Commission, Democrats on the May 5 primary ballot are Anthony J. Buckner, Keisha Scott, Reginald Leon Hubbard, Ricky J. Pollard and Michael D. Pope. The Republican primary features Marco Yzaguirre and Brad Less.
Two other hopefuls, Michael Dorell Pryor and Donald Taylor, were withdrawn or removed before the ballot was finalized, per the commission’s list.
Candidates' backgrounds
Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner is pitching himself as the continuity candidate for the current administration. Reginald Hubbard, who has previously served in jail leadership, and Michael D. Pope bring decades of experience in corrections and investigations. Ricky Pollard and Keisha Scott round out the Democratic side of the race, each offering their own prescriptions for shoring up the jail and patrol staffing.
Voters looking for fine-grain contrasts between the contenders can find them in recent interviews and profiles of each candidate, as reported by the Daily Memphian.
Jail, staffing and the Safe Task Force
The downtown jail at 201 Poplar is the flashpoint everyone keeps circling back to. Candidates are split over how transparent the sheriff’s office has been about conditions inside and whether it is time to pursue a completely new facility.
At a March forum, Michael Pope raised alarms about staffing, saying the office is dealing with “more than 700 vacancies,” a figure cited in candidate coverage by the Commercial Appeal. Reginald Hubbard has leaned heavily on his prior experience managing jail operations, arguing it qualifies him to overhaul the troubled facility, as noted by WMC Action News 5.
The candidates have also traded views on the Memphis Safe Task Force, debating how closely the sheriff’s office should coordinate with federal partners and how that partnership fits into broader crime-fighting and public-safety strategies.
When to vote and where to learn more
The Shelby County primary is scheduled for Tuesday, May 5. Early voting and sample ballots are available through county elections and at polling locations. Voters can confirm registration status, find polling places and review the final ballot list on the Shelby County Election Commission site, according to the Shelby County Election Commission.
The winner will succeed term‑limited Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. and head into a contested fall election where jail conditions and staffing are expected to stay front and center. For more detailed background and full Q&As with the contenders, readers can turn to recent coverage in the Daily Memphian and candidate briefs from the Commercial Appeal.
