By Courtney Anderson
6:00 PM CST January 3, 2026
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery believes this is a critical time for Shelby County.
Shelby County, Lowery says, will be responsible for many major decisions when it comes to issues such as education, public safety, and economic growth.
Lowery, the son of longtime councilman Myron Lowery, says that he can’t pick one issue as the “biggest,” but he acknowledges that public safety is one of the most important.
“Really, we need a culture change in our county,” Lowery said.
Lowery, who says he spent 13 years as a coach before his foray into politics, represents District 8. While he is proud of the work his district has done to provide mentoring and programming for Shelby County’s youth, he says children in the county need more opportunities and parental involvement.
Lowery would also like to see more community involvement from law enforcement in Shelby County. He suggests that law enforcement could use school academies and “adopt-a-school” programs to stay connected and build something of a pipeline to jobs on the force.
A conversation about public safety must also include the ongoing issues at 201 Poplar. Lowery says that the county needs to build a new jail.
“Nothing about 201 says anything about rehabilitation,” Lowery says.
Lowery feels that the current Shelby County jail isn’t safe for employees or inmates. He thinks the jail should be larger and could stand to be moved from the downtown area. Lowery also believes that some crimes should have mandatory sentencing.
Lowery believes that the rehabilitation of inmates is the county’s responsibility.
“If we’re not giving them tools to reacclimate themselves to society, we’re perpetuating this revolving door when it comes to public safety,” Lowery said.
Lowery says the work would take “creative” funding, but he believes it could be done without raising property taxes in Shelby County. He says the county would need state funding, so a relationship with the State of Tennessee is a priority.
“The success of West Tennessee is important to the entire state,” Lowery said.
Lowery also acknowledges that a relationship with the State would be necessary to make improvements to education in Shelby County. And while he knows that the Memphis-Shelby County School Board has come under much scrutiny, he doesn’t believe it’s his place as a legislator to say whether another legislative body is doing a good job.
“Our responsibility is to go do something about that,” Lowery said.
Lowery believes that the trajectory of Shelby County’s population can change through some projects that are already in the works, such as the construction of a new Regional One Hospital, new schools, and initiatives aimed at growing small businesses.
“We only have a short amount of time to do these things correctly,” Lowery said.
He believes that his experience, such as his time with FedEx, gives him the insight necessary to develop the county’s workforce. Lowery also believes that his experience and passion are part of why he resonates with voters in Shelby County.
“Before I got elected, I’ve been leaning into what I thought was best for my community,” Lowery said.
Lowery is looking forward to the ways he could help guide new leadership in Shelby County, including the eight or nine new commissioners who will be ushered in this year. He sees the Shelby County mayor as a “chief relationship officer” and wants to work with other mayors to help Shelby County compete regionally.
“It takes all of us collectively to show the force of Shelby County, and I think the county mayor should be leading in that regard,” Lowery said.
Lowery says he has seen Memphis and Shelby County accomplish many great things over the years, but now he believes that the county needs a new leader for a different time.
Shelby County’s primary election will be held on May 5. The deadline to register to vote in the primary is April 6.