Van Turner nets endorsements in Memphis mayoral race from top officials, city employee union

Katherine Burgess and Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal
·1 min read

Former Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner, also the former president of the Memphis Branch of the NAACP, is racking up key endorsements as early voting starts in the Memphis mayor’s race.

Endorsements announced Friday, the first day of early voting, include U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen and Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.

“I have several friends in the race but nobody comes to the stature of Van Turner," Cohen said at a news conference.

More: Memphis voter guide 2023: The hub for mayoral, City Council election coverage

Turner previously received the endorsements of AFSCME Local 1733, the largest union representing city workers in Memphis. The unions for police and fire endorsed Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner, who is also running for mayor.

Other Turner endorsements in the weeks leading up to early voting included State Rep. Justin J. Pearson as well as the organizations Stand for Children, Memphis for All, the People for Fairness and Justice and Tennessee Advocates for Planned Parenthood, which also endorsed Downtown Memphis Commission President Paul Young. Katherine Burgess covers government and religion. She can be reached at katherine.burgess@commercialappeal.com or followed on Twitter @kathsburgess.

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Van Turner nets endorsements from top officials, Memphis union