Ballot Project

← Back to Hamilton County, Tennessee: Election on 2026-05-05

Contest for County School Board District 9 (Republican Primary)

County School Board County School Board 9
primary - Partisan - Hamilton County Schools Board District 9

About this office

Term length: 4 years.

This role calls for

  • Policy judgment on a large urban district — Memphis-Shelby County Schools serves roughly 110,000 students across more than 200 schools, with a budget over a billion dollars.
  • Budget literacy for both operating and capital budgets, in coordination with the County Commission (which appropriates) and the Tennessee Department of Education.
  • Ability to hire, evaluate, and when necessary replace the superintendent — historically the highest-stakes recurring decision the board makes.
  • Constituent relations with parents, teachers, principals, and community members across an economically and racially diverse district.
  • Willingness to complete the state-required seven hours of annual training through the Tennessee School Boards Association School Board Academy.

Derived from the office's statutory duties and operational reality. Candidate summaries below map each candidate's documented experience to these requirements.

Campaigns

Republican Primary 2 candidates
James B. Walker

James B. Walker

👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
No campaign summary available.
Gary Kuehn

Gary Kuehn

👍 👎 🤡 😡 🤷
No campaign summary available.
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