Local pundits and even other mayoral candidates have called Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton a frontrunner in this abbreviated campaign for Memphis mayor.
But with 28 candidates now vying for the seat, a few of Wharton's opponents have questioned Wharton's lead.
Candidate Carol Chumney, a former City Councilwoman, called Wharton's frontrunner status a flawed assessment.
"Why do you think that?" she asked a reporter. "The only poll I've seen is ... the Berje Yacoubian poll that he admitted wasn't a statistically accurate sample. So what's it based on?"
Memphis City Schools board commissioner Kenneth Whalum Jr. said it's absolutely true that people are calling Wharton the frontrunner at this point.
"And so was Hillary Clinton last April," he said, noting that even in a six-week election, it is too early to name a leader.
Meanwhile, candidate Charles Carpenter, Willie Herenton's longtime campaign manager, said Wharton is striking the wrong message. People want issues; Wharton is "running a popularity contest," he said.
"People know him," Carpenter said. "He makes a good image. He's a safe candidate, but he will not talk about the issues because his record won't support him talking about the issues. He will have a generic theme... You won't hear him talking about issues. The citizens of Memphis want to hear the issues."
As for Wharton, he said today that other candidates doubting his strength in the race "says more about their intelligence than it does me."
And he added that response to his campaign has been "overwhelmingly positive, more so than any race I've been in before. And I meant that, that's not just hype... You can feel it."
Carol Chumney would be an absolute debacle as this city's mayor. As for Whalum, he isn't worth considering for a job walking my dog. Carpenter, well, I don't THINK he is an absolute train wreck, but anyone who could have supported Willie Herenton for all those many years is completely untrustworthy based on that one fact alone.
I don't really care if AC is considered on the surface as "Mr. Popularity 2009". He's the best of the bunch and I am voting for him.
Hate to burst your bubble karen, but wharton is a willie herenton supporter for years also. He was his campaign manager twice. Not only that, it's speculated that wharton and willie conspired with each other (wharton dropping out of the mayor's race) against chumney so she would not win.
Wharton has been a willie supporter for years, so by what you say he is completely untrustworthy based on that fact alone.
Dave, you continue to use rumor and conjecture to tarnish Wharton. He is clearly the best candidate in this field. Instead of "hatin" on Wharton underscore what your candidate can do better; I know that is impossible so this why you stick with option #1.
Mellowfellow.. Who is my candidate? I'm not hatin on anybody, I'm calling it like I see it. All of wharton's supporters wanted him to run the last election but after his much publicized meeting with herenton, he decided not to..
Wharton was willie's campaign manager for two of his elections.
Wharton was also the lawyer who settled the lawsuit against willie when he got that teacher pregnant while superindendant of the city schools. He got the case sealed so the public will never know how much we had to pay for his settlement.
Wharton gave a long speech at willie's retirement ceremony.
All of this is fact.
Dave, Mellow Fellow and Karen -
Those of us who have worked closely with A C know he is the "Emperor's Clothes". He can spout Sustainable Shelby all he wants, but he is in the pocket of all the developers. His mentor is Bobby Lanier. Enough said.
He ran off or found people to do his dirty work to get rid of anyone who truly fought for a Shelby County that was financially progressive and worked for planned, financially feasible residential and commercial development. Just look at Germantown Parkway. Within 5 years it will be another Winchester. The houses built by the usual list of developers are almost made of paste and the single mother households will not be able to hang on to them for very long
He never said NO to County schools who fueled the over-development and subdivisions isolated from each other.
There is so much more. Take time to see what he has really done (almost nothing) and take time to see what he has encouraged behind the scenes.
midtownmemphis, you are really cracking me up! Maybe if I was not from Memphis I would believe that AC was behind the overdevolpment of Germantown Parkway, but as a resident of Memphis I know that this development was well on its way in the early 90's. AC was the FIRST Mayor of any kind to restrict and/or try to control community development. stop it with the bogus facts and lies!!!