The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast

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Veteran political reporter Bill Dries breaks down the local political scene from candidates to causes and “D”s to “R”s in Memphis and Shelby County.

The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast


    • Aug 13, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • every other week NEW EPISODES
    • 26m AVG DURATION
    • 185 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast

    S6E12: Democratic Senate nominee Gloria Johnson

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2024 24:53


    The Democrat challenging Republican U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn on the Nov. 5 ballot talks about the statewide campaign and the historic change in the Democratic presidential ticket on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast.

    S6E11: Lisa Arnold - The race for General Sessions Court Clerk and why it is important

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 18:40


    Tami Sawyer and Lisa Arnold are the candidates in the only countywide race to be decided by Shelby County voters this election year. Arnold is a retired  supervisor in the clerk's office who began working there part-time as a teenager.

    race court clerk shelby county lisa arnold tami sawyer
    S6E10: Tami Sawyer - The race for General Sessions Court Clerk and why it is important

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 8, 2024 21:42


    Tami Sawyer and Lisa Arnold are the candidates in the only countywide race to be decided by Shelby County voters this election year. Sawyer is best known as a former county commissioner.

    race court clerk shelby county lisa arnold tami sawyer
    S6E9: Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery on hip-hop museum

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2024 19:35


    Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery talks in the “On The Record” podcast about more specific plans for a hip hop museum in Memphis.

    S6E8: Mayor Harris talks about the compromises of county budget season

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 19, 2024 16:19


    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris breaks down how county commissioners settled amid budget season, including keeping vacant positions on the books and local opposition to the Regional One Health rebuild. 

    S6E7: Countywide voter registration numbers up as early voting approaches for August election

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2024 16:23


    Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips talks on the “On The Record” podcast about the upcoming August elections and voter turnout. Meanwhile, the latest election commission count shows 593,121 voters countywide as of May - an increase of approximately 10,000 voters from two years ago.

    S6E6: Explaining the two major features of the Shelby County budget proposal

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2024 20:19


    Shelby County Budget Director Michael Thompson talks about the 2024 budget season in county government on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast as well as the savings found in vacant county positions.

    S6E5: County budget proposal ups county's share of Regional One Health campus rebuild

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2024 21:27


    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talked on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast about his $1.6 billion county budget proposal and the change to more local funding for a rebuilding of the Regional One Health campus.

    S6E4: Lonnie Robinson on Clayborn Temple

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 17, 2024 24:55


    One of the artists working on new stained glass images for Historic Clayborn Temple talks on the “On The Record” podcast about bringing images of the 1968 sanitation workers strike to the frames of the landmark.

    on the record lonnie robinson clayborn temple
    S6E3: County Commissioner Henri Brooks

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2024 29:12


    County Commissioner Henri Brooks found out two years ago she was adopted through the Tennessee Children's Home Society - a notorious black market adoption operation. Her lawsuit against the state could open a “floodgate.” Brooks talked about the sudden revelation in The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast series.

    S6E2: Early voting begins for Super Tuesday in Tennessee

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2024 20:59


    Early voting in 2024's first election in Shelby County begins Wednesday, Feb. 14. The Tennessee presidential primaries top the ballot, but Memphis voters haven't seen much of the presidential campaigns this year.

    S6E1: August ballot contenders begin checking out petitions as early voting nears

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2024 32:36


    Tennessee Republican Party chairman Scott Golden talks in an “On The Record” podcast about the presidential primaries and general election races.

    S5E29: Inside the strategy of a winning mayoral campaign

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2023 32:43


    The On The Record podcast talks to Daniel Deriso and Grif Gray, who helped guide Mayor-elect Paul Young's successful campaign. 

    S5E28: Election Aftermath

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 9, 2023 30:47


    Daily Memphian political reporters Sam Hardiman and Bill Dries go over some notes on the 2023 city elections and what the unofficial results mean in an “On The Record” podcast.

    S5E27: Bill Dries interviews Marcus Pohlmann

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2023 28:20


    Marcus Pohlmann is a former political science professor at Rhodes College whose 2008 book “Opportunity Lost: Race and Poverty in Memphis City Schools” is required reading for teachers and school administrators in Memphis-Shelby County Schools. It is a case study of busing in Memphis City Schools.

    S5E26: Bill Dries interviews Roderick Richmond

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 32:35


    Roderick Richmond started at Shannon Elementary School as his neighborhood school at a time when busing as well as private schools were changing the definition of neighborhood schools in public and private school systems. For the first grade, he was bused to Wells Station Elementary School, which racially was a school in transition. His time as a student came as longer-term patterns in the reaction to busing were taking root.

    S5E25: Bill Dries interviews Roshun Austin

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2023 38:52


    Roshun Austin is a founder of The Works Inc., a community development corporation. She is also a planner who works as a developer in some of the communities affected the most by the impact of busing. She grew up in the Hyde Park section of North Memphis. Austin is also on the board of Memphis Fourth Estate, the nonprofit behind The Daily Memphian.

    S5E24: Sound Diplomacy

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 28:36


    The founder of Sound Diplomacy, a music industry consulting firm, talks about the groups coming work in Memphis on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast.

    S5E23: Bill Dries interviews Archie Willis III

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 26:12


    Chapter Three: 'Plan Z' busing begins.

    willis bill dries
    S5E22: Bill Dries interviews Edith Abakare

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 8, 2023 18:51


    Chapter Three: 'Plan Z' busing begins.

    bill dries
    S5E21: Bill Dries interviews Steve Steffens

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2023 22:17


    Steve Steffens arrived in Memphis with his family from rural Illinois and Arkansas in 1972, a semester before Plan A began. His neighborhood school was Oakshire Junior High in Whitehaven as an eighth grader. Oakshire and greater Whitehaven beyond the school was predominantly white at the time. Steffens and his family were part of that white majority in a city whose housing patterns were just as segregated as its schools.

    S5E20: Bill Dries interviews former Memphis City Schools research and planning director O.Z. Stephens

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2023 26:39


    Drawing Plans A and Z.

    S5E19: Bonner says he's the answer to Memphis crime question

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2023 62:28


    The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Floyd Bonner Jr. 

    S5E18: Walking with Willie Herenton as he makes another bid for mayor

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 59:02


    The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Willie Herenton.

    S5E17: In bid for mayor, Paul Young is out to change the city's reality

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 25, 2023 40:47


    The Daily Memphian's Samuel Hardiman interviews Paul Young.

    S5E16: Political Roundup: J.W. Gibson and Earle Fisher

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2023 21:32


    We are joined by Doctor Earl Fisher, co-founder of the Memphis People's Convention.

    S5E15: How to win a mayoral election with Cole Perry of Perry Strategy's

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2023 49:12


    The Daily Memphian's Sam Hardiman sits down with Cole Perry of Perry Strategies, which worked on Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland's two campaigns. Perry shares his insight on the crowded 2023 race and peels back the layers on what a successful campaign looks like.

    S5E14: County Mayor Lee Harris

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 6, 2023 13:53


    Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris talks about the defeat of his wheel tax proposal on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast and says he is still pushing for county financing of the rebuilding of the Regional One Health campus.

    S5E13: JB Smiley Jr. mulls run for U.S. Senate

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023 38:10


    He would be a heavy underdog in the general election were he to win the Democratic nomination. 

    S5E12: County budget season hinges on property tax drop for wheel tax deal

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2023 19:10


    County Commission Budget Committee Chairman Michael Whaley talks about the proposed doubling of the county's capital budget on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast.

    S5E11: Trolleys mark 9 years down and counting on riverfront loop and Madison line

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 15:25


    Nine years ago this month all trolleys stopped running following a fire on the Madison line. Nine years later, the Riverfront loop and Madison Avenue line are still down. MATA's chief development officer talks about the delay on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast.

    S5E10: Strickland says DOJ investigation will show MPD culture

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 32:13


    Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland said this week the results of a federal investigation will show whether Tyre Nichols' death was part of broader cultural issues in the Memphis Police Department. 

    S5E9: County approaches Green Fleet goals

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 20:02


    As a final county commission vote nears on a timeline for a green fleet on county government vehicles, there are a lot of questions about the aggressive timeline the county administration is setting toward the goal over the next decade.

    goals approaches green fleet
    S5E8: Kirkwood renews push for police review board with fewer limits, more teeth

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2023 27:16


    CLERB chairman James Kirkwood talks in The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast about the review board's possible role in investigating allegations of police misconduct, pending legislation in Nashville.

    S5E7: A deeper look at campaign finance

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2023 21:48


    Three contenders reported raising $300,000 or better in the first report of the mayor's race. J.W. Gibson talked on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast about his mix of contributions with self financing and why he wants to depart from outgoing Mayor Jim Strickland's “brilliant at the basics” theme.

    S5E6: Michalyn Easter-Thomas

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2023 19:37


    City Council weighs Philadelphia police reform.

    S5E5: Shelby County Commissioner Britney Thornton

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2023 22:46


    Who gets county tax delinquent properties?

    thornton county commissioners shelby county commissioner
    S5E4: Strickland says outside review of MPD essential to questions about police culture

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2023 11:38


    Strickland said, on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast that an outside review of MPD's special units will likely determine if police culture needs to change or if more police training is the answer. 

    S5E3: Potholes

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 16:05


    Next week, a specially equipped vehicle will begin a drive around of the city collecting data for later analysis on potholes and the condition of streets. The data will be analyzed to find and repair stretches of road for immediate action. The city is also experimenting with artificial intelligence that could make calling in reports of potholes a thing of the past.

    S5E2: Cohen on the Capitol

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 12, 2023 22:03


    U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen talks about the new Republican majority in the U.S. House and the prospects for bipartisanship.

    S5E1: An unofficial primary for mayor and State House District 89 candidates forum

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 4, 2023 21:49


    The cofounder of the People's Convention says a 2023 edition of the gathering could serve to whittle down the field in this year's race for Memphis Mayor.

    S4E31: Shelby County November certified ballot, by the numbers

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 7:38


    The certified vote totals from the November election show an increase in the number of provisional ballots cast and counted compared to the August elections. The votes added didn't change any of the outcomes on the November ballot, but they did boost the turnout to 34.4%.

    S4E30: What Tuesday's vote totals say about the bluest county in a red state

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 9, 2022 8:51


    The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast takes closer look at the unofficial results in the Tuesday Nov. 8 election and finds a lackluster show of support for the Democratic nominee for Governor in the bluest county in the state as well as interesting numbers from the four amendments to the state constitution.

    S4E29: Smaller Shelby County ballot yields lower early voter turnout so far

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2022 24:27


    Shelby County elections administrator Linda Phillips and Ian Randolph of the Shelby County Voter Alliance talked about the low turnout on The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast. 

    S4E28: Post Certification

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 9:33


    The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast takes a closer look at the numbers in the certified vote totals from August, previews the nearly complete November ballot and features a few political notes.

    S4E27: Numbers shift in unofficial vote totals day after election

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2022 9:02


    The unofficial voter turnout in  Shelby County for the August 2022 big ballot election was the lowest for the election cycle since partisan county primaries began. None of the changes in totals changed outcomes in races. The Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast looks at the totals from several key races and compares the vote totals of candidates across elections for the same office.

    S4E26: What to watch for in the election night vote totals

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 2, 2022 8:17


    Beyond the vote totals, politicos will be considering what a Smiley victory in the Democratic primary for Governor could mean for the statewide Democratic strategy and whether the Republican strategy of trying to keep the GOP's May county primaries unopposed worked or backfired in August.

    S4E25: The ultimate guide to the judicial races on the August ballot

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 22, 2022 7:48


    Here is The Daily Memphian's guide to who is who in the 57 contested and retention judicial races on the August ballot included endorsements and polling by the city's two bar associations.

    S4E24: Early voting opens for longest ballot

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 14, 2022 8:21


    The “big ballot” that comes once every eight years in Shelby County politics has arrived with the Friday, July 15, start of the early voting period. Here are the stakes in the 163 races with 344 candidates and what has changed for voters.

    S4E23: McGowen on Mud Island

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 12, 2022 16:24


    Chief operating officer Doug McGowen talks about the city's study of a long range plan for Mud Island River Park 40 years after it opened.

    chief mcgowen mud island
    S4E22: Elections

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 5, 2022 18:55


    Shelby County Elections Administrator Linda Phillips and Ian Randolph of the Shelby County Voter Alliance join the Daily Memphian's “On The Record” podcast to talk about the August and November elections and the differences voters will see from one to the other.

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