Sammons running?

Another name for the mayoral special election's definitely maybe list -- former City Council member Jack Sammons.

"I've always had an interest in serving as mayor, and this may be a rare opportunity for me, but there's a lot of good candidates considering and these people are all good friends," said Sammons, a local businessman served on Council for 16 years before retiring at the end of 2007. "I will either run or be actively helping somebody before the (end) of July."

Although the logistics of the special election are not definitely determined, the Shelby County Election Commission said Thursday it expects the filing deadline will be around July 16 and the withdrawal deadline a week later. The election is expected to be held on or near Oct. 8.

Sammons said his decision could be based, in part, on who else decides to run. Current first-term City Council members Jim Strickland and Kemp Conrad are both seriously considering a run -- in addition to Sammons, that's three white males campaigning in a city where the electorate is tilted heavily toward African-American voters and women.

Sammons, Strickland and Conrad would also figure to base a platform on fiscal discipline in a city that has not shown a penchant for rewarding politicians who cut spending nor much history punishing those who vote against spending cuts.

With Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton already cranking up his impressive political operation to run, finding a way to mount a viable challenge to Wharton could prove difficult.

"Those of us that are interested at some point have got to calculate who has the best opportunity to win," Sammons said. "Certainly, Mayor Wharton could be considered the early favorite, but he's not unbeatable by any stretch of the imagination."

Carol Chumney, who got nearly 35 percent of the vote in her 2007 challenge to Herenton, is yet another white candidate who has already declared her entry into the race. And Sammons and other potential candidates well know Chumney has no intention of leaving the contest.

"Carol's not electable," said Sammons. "Memphis has a history of perennial candidates. There's one on every ballot here and that's what Carol has evolved into."

Chumney, however, would point to her impressive showing in 2007 against Herenton -- she believes that she would have beaten Herenton if former MLGW director Herman Morris had not also been in the field -- and to her 2003 Council race in which she defeated both Strickland and Republican George Flinn despite being at a huge funding disadvantage.

"The people will not be fooled this time," Chumney said on Thursday. "They know they have the power to put into office the mayor of their choice. They are going to turn out and put Carol Chumney in as mayor."