Stacey Kelly is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Memphis-Shelby County School Board for District 6 in the May 5, 2026, primary. Currently employed as a college advisor for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, Kelly brings a diverse professional background that includes fifteen years of experience in corporate banking, where she specialized in reconcilement, research, and operations. Her career also encompasses work with Rise Foundation (Rise Memphis), where she served as a financial assistant and coordinator, teaching financial literacy to students in grades five through twelve. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Science in Administration and Management from Christian Brothers University and is completing a Master of Science in Science and Leadership, with graduation scheduled for the week of the primary election. Although she has no prior elected office experience and is described as a private citizen, she identifies as a fourteen-year veteran of working within the school system. She is one of five candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for the seat currently held by Keith Williams. Her campaign highlights her extensive financial expertise and recent focus on higher education access as key qualifications for addressing the district’s educational needs.

T. L. Harris is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Memphis-Shelby County School Board for District 6 in the May 5, 2026, primary. A graduate of LeMoyne-Owen College and the University of Memphis, Harris is currently an MBA candidate at LSU. He serves as a healthcare executive and managing partner of Whitehaven Family Healthcare. His professional background also includes two decades of service as a Memphis police officer and leading a youth violence prevention program for three years. Harris’s campaign centers on "The Third Grade Standard," a platform initiative aimed at increasing third-grade reading proficiency by 10% within two academic years. He has secured endorsements from the Memphis-Shelby County Education Association, AFSCME Local 1733, and City Council Member Pearl Eva Walker. Harris is a long-time resident of the Whitehaven community and a product of the local school system. His candidacy follows a significant legal history; in 2006, while serving as a police officer, he pleaded guilty to attempting to possess cocaine with intent to distribute. He served fifty-one months in federal prison and completed supervised release in 2013 after his civil rights were restored by a local court. Harris qualified for the ballot following this restoration of rights.

Contessa Humphrey is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Memphis-Shelby County School Board for District 6. She is currently running in the primary election scheduled for May 5, 2026, competing against four other candidates for the party’s nomination. The seat she seeks is currently held by Keith Williams. Humphrey has engaged with local civic organizations as part of her campaign efforts, including participating in a candidate video series hosted by the Greater Memphis Chamber. This platform allowed her to introduce herself to voters and share aspects of her candidacy through the chamber’s digital channels. However, specific details regarding her policy positions, educational background, or professional experience relevant to school board governance are not available in public records reviewed for this summary. She did not respond to survey requests from Chalkbeat that sought to outline her platform or provide biographical context for voters. As a candidate for Shelby County office, Humphrey has filed a Statement of Interest with the Tennessee Ethics Commission, identifying herself as a Shelby County official/candidate in 2026. This filing is a standard requirement for candidates holding or seeking public office in the state and outlines potential conflicts of interest. No prominent public controversies or legal issues are noted in the available source material regarding her candidacy or prior service. Voters will determine her qualifications based on her campaign participation and platform statements as the election approaches.

Juliette Eskridge is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Shelby County Board of Education for District 6. She is currently running in the primary scheduled for May 5, 2026, with the intention of facing independent candidate Frederick Dewayne Tappan in the general election on August 6 if she secures the party’s nomination. Eskridge brings approximately two decades of experience within the Memphis-Shelby County Schools system to her campaign. Her professional background includes serving as both a teacher and a project manager for multiple institutions, specifically Hamilton Elementary and Mitchell High School. In addition to her direct classroom and administrative roles within the district, she currently works with Project STAND, a school-based mentoring program established in 2017 that supports at-risk students operating within MSCS. This combination of long-term service as an educator and involvement in student support initiatives forms the core of her professional history relevant to the board’s responsibilities. The provided biographical material does not list specific educational credentials or family details, nor does it mention any public controversies associated with her candidacy. Her campaign focuses on her extensive tenure within the local school system and her current work supporting vulnerable student populations through mentoring programs.

Marinda A-Williams is a Democratic candidate seeking election to the Memphis-Shelby County School Board for District 6 in the May 5, 2026 primary. She is one of five contenders vying for the seat currently held by Keith Williams. A-Williams brings professional experience in education to her campaign, having served as a teacher assistant and educator in local private schools, as well as a teacher within the Germantown suburban school district. Her background also includes early political engagement; at age 23, she represented Memphis on the Tennessee Democratic State Executive Committee, where she helped set policies and goals for local parties. Although she ran unsuccessfully for Memphis City Council in 2019, her focus remains on improving the county’s public school system through specific policy proposals. A-Williams advocates for a collaborative governance model that would allow newly elected leadership time to demonstrate improvement before any potential state takeover of the district. Her platform prioritizes evidence-based literacy instruction in early grades, expanded tutoring services, and aligning curriculum investments with learning science. She also supports enforcing strong financial transparency and contract oversight at the board level. Additionally, A-Williams believes the district should expand career and technical education programs to help boost student attendance rates. These positions reflect her commitment to educational quality and fiscal responsibility as she campaigns for the District 6 seat.