Memphis has selected its two newest Memphis-Shelby County Schools board members.
Democrat T.L. Harris in the 6th District and Democrat Tanya Frey in the 8th won their bid for the Memphis-Shelby County Schools Board of Education in the Aug. 6 election, both beating out Independent candidates. Election results are unofficial until certified by the election commission.
Out of nine seats on the board, four were up for election. Two incumbents, Michelle McKissack in District 1 and Joyce Dorse Coleman in District 9, faced opposition in the May primary, but both ran unopposed in the Aug. 6 election.
Incumbents Amber Huett-Garcia in District 8 and Keith Williams representing District 6 did not run for reelection, leaving two seats up for grabs.
Harris beat
Independent Frederick Tappan by a huge margin, securing nearly 90% of the vote as of 10 p.m. on Aug. 6.
The race between Frey and Independent Candidate Leigh Ann Scarbrough was slightly closer, with Frey reaching just above 60% of the vote as of 10 p.m.
None of this year's school board races saw a Republican candidate qualify for the ballot.
Harris narrowly won the Democratic primary in his district with just over 29% of the vote. Frey won the Democratic primary with 60% of the vote.
Election results are unofficial until certified by local and state election bodies.
The two new board members will join a body that is under increasing scrutiny — the board and Shelby County are leading litigation against the state of Tennessee over the forced takeover of Memphis' school district. The district also faced a forensic audit of the district released by state officials that alleges $54 million in potential waste, fraud and abuse by the district.
Jack Armstrong covers breaking news and the environment for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached at jack.armstrong@commercialappeal.com and followed on X @jca2902.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Democrats T.L. Harris, Tanya Frey to join Memphis school board
