Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will 'seriously consider' possibility of a third-term
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About two weeks ago, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland dismissed the idea of a third-term as a remote possibility that he didn't spend much time thinking about.
Now, that the option could become open, Strickland said late Tuesday that "over the next several days, my family and I will seriously consider the opportunity."
The political opportunities available to Strickland changed Tuesday night when the Memphis City Council voted to put a referendum on the ballot Aug. 4 that will ask voters whether term limits for Memphis mayor and the City Council should be extended from the current two to three potential terms.
The referendum had, until Tuesday, only applied to the City Council, not mayor. However, it was amended Tuesday to include mayor, a possibility that had been bandied about for weeks.
That possibility had prompted politicos to suggest that if mayor was included in the referendum, it would give Strickland the option, as a popular incumbent with some the highest name recognition in the city, to support the referendum and treat the ballot issue as a referendum on him.
If the referendum passed in August, it would be a signal that voters were open to a third Strickland term and another reelection campaign in 2023.
If Strickland were to announce he was running for reelection, it would likely prompt many of the people considering a 2023 to reevaluate those plans and decide if they want to challenge an incumbent who was reelected with 62% of the vote in 2019.
When the amended referendum was approved Tuesday night, it was also approved with same-night minutes, which means that the council cannot go back and change its mind. Members of the Strickland administration double-checked that the referendum did in fact pass with same-night minutes before leaving Memphis City Hall.
Once the referendum passed, The Commercial Appeal asked Strickland what he would do. He later replied with a statement.
Strickland's full statement can be seen below:
"Serving in this role for nearly two terms has been the honor of my life, and there is still much to be accomplished. For the last several weeks, this idea has been discussed for council members, and I didn’t spend much time thinking about it. Now, it applies to mayor. Over the next several days, my family and I will seriously consider the opportunity.
Samuel Hardiman covers Memphis city government and politics for The Commercial Appeal. He can be reached by email at samuel.hardiman@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter at @samhardiman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland will consider possibility of a third-term
