Blog
This year has been tough for Memphis. The Tyre Nichols killing, expulsion and reinstatement of Justin Pearson, and hard economic conditions have left the city wounded but not broken. With a dynamic and young population, Memphis has many great leaders like you, but these leaders need to escape the partisan trap that leads to inaction and half-measures and instead decide to run as independents.
So here are 4 reasons why you can and should run and win as an independent in Memphis:
There are serious issues to address
Memphis faces many important issues, including crime and policing, education, and economic development. Running for city council as an independent can give you the platform to address these issues head on and make a positive impact in your community. Contrast this with what some members of the city council are up to today.
The Memphis City Council has joined a lawsuit that could determine if mayoral candidates must have lived in Memphis for at least five years prior to taking office. Implementing this rule would eliminate 3 current mayoral candidates from the race, which, depending on who you ask, could be a good thing or a bad thing. This ugly fight is a great position for a Memphian to come in as a viable local option.
Memphis is a young city ready for change
The demographics are on the side of a young, insurgent leaders in Nashville. 33% of the city is 18-35 years old. When people think of Gen Z and Millenials, many think they don’t vote. This couldn’t be further from the truth, as without Gen Zand regardless what you think of the Democrats, they don’t keep the senate in 2022 and Biden’s not president. However, this group is the most likely to identify as politically independent at over 50%. This means that with a high volume of young people eager for systemic change, Memphis is the perfect place to run as an independent.
Memphis has nonpartisan municipal elections
Another bonus of Memphis is that its municipal elections are non-partisan. This means that you won’t be forced to join one of the two major political parties and, technically, everyone in the race will be independent. This will allow you to fend off attacks from candidates backed by the major parties and enable you to develop your own political platform with the input of your constituents, not the state party.
Memphians are independent
We project that 54% of the city self-identify as independent and made up just over 50% of the voters in 2022. The combination of a highly independent electorate and nonpartisan elections means that it is safe and even advantageous to run as an independent for Memphis City Council. It’s rare in democracy reform that the numbers AND the rules are on your side.
So why are we telling you all this? Good Party is running a free course for real people exploring the possibility of a run for office. The course fits into your schedule at just 2 hours a week for 4 weeks, and when you graduate, you’ll get access to Good Party’s tools for candidates and team of experts for free. The filing deadline is coming on July 20th so connect with us to learn about Good Party academy now so you can learn everything you need before you decide.
