But yesterday Joe Ford was handily defeated for County Mayor by Sheriff Mark Luttrell by a whopping 16-point margin:

The result denies Memphis’ Ford family of something oft-imagined but never achieved — an elected Mayor Ford.

Luttrell, the Republican nominee, got 58 percent of the vote in a county where 57 percent voted in Democratic primaries during the 16-day early-voting period. That it was the closest county mayor race since the first contest, in 1975, was no consolation to Ford (42 percent), who also lost a 1999 bid for Memphis mayor.

In other news, incumbent US Rep. Steve Cohen fought off a challenge for the 9th Congressional District’s Democrat primary by five-time Memphis Mayor and self-proclaimed deity, Willie Herenton. This margin was even larger: 79 to 21.

Both Ford and Herenton are members of political machines with vast reach and influence. But both lost on Thursday.

But the real winners are the citizens of Shelby County. Finally.

Technorati Tags: Joe Ford, Mark Luttrell, Steve Cohen, King Willie Herenton, Shelby County Elections, Elections of 2010, Tennessee Politics

To those who would say that a candidate can’t file public papers and keep the news private, I would say that you don’t know the full extent of the power that Willie wields.

I never did buy that whole "going back to be a school superintendent" thing.

And Steve Cohen is vulnerable, just because he’s a white guy representing a majority black district. You can call me racist for saying so, but that doesn’t make it not true.

Not because I was a fan of Herenton. Don’t get it twisted. I’ve spanked him in at least 15 columns. I shook my head when he fathered a child with a security guard. I shuddered when I saw him, shirtless, in a charity boxing match with Joe Frazier.

I sighed when he declared himself appointed by God, not the voters. I rolled my eyes when he got all street with the City Council and told them, "Don’t bring me no mess, won’t be no mess."

And I was nauseous when, in his October victory speech, he rejected an opportunity to be conciliatory and instead used his time at the mic as an opportunity to further divide the city along racial lines.

He has buried any civic achievements he could take credit for under a pile of trifling mess. His combative attitude, his condescension toward anyone who dared criticize him, his appointments of cronies to high-paying jobs, all while property taxes rose and city services shrank and citizens fled for anywhere outside the city limits.

But with his resignation, the chance — albeit an off-chance, the remotest of possibilities — of Herenton ending his tenure with honor and on a high note is gone.

OK, so maybe that wasn’t a realistic dream — that Herenton would suddenly stop acting foolish. But a girl can hope. Now, even that dim hope has been dashed.

She declares that she cannot take part in any celebrations of schadenfraude. I, on the other hand, see no reason not to.

King Willie’s resignation cannot be a bad thing. If Wendi loves her city, then she should welcome this opportunity to instill a real leader to help us recover from more than sixteen years of Willie’s ruinous rule.

MAYOR

Laura Davis Aaron: Pleaded guilty to assault, 1980; open and notorious public lewdness, 1985. Four bankruptcies: 1994 and 1995 in Memphis, 2001 in Chattanooga, 2005 in Memphis.

Fred Askew: Bankruptcy, 2006. As of Tuesday, owed $1,061 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2006 city taxes and 2005 and 2006 county taxes).

Carlos F. Boyland: Bankruptcy, 2003. Lost $2,612 judgment, 2001. pleaded guilty misdemeanor assault, 1989; guilty, misdemeanor theft, 1992.

Willie Herenton: Fined $50 for disorderly conduct, 1960.

Bill Jacox: Pleaded guilty, tampering with utility metering device, 1988.

Dewayne A. Jones Sr.: As of Tuesday owed $3,311 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2005-2007 city taxes and 2005-2006 county taxes.) pleaded guilty to misdemeanor theft, 1990.

James McKay: Pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and violating probation, 1982; driving under the influence, 1982; disturbing the peace, 1986; driving under the influence, 1992.

Sharon A. Webb: Two Bankruptcies: 1993, 1998.

John Willingham: Lost $6,930 judgment after alleged breach of trust, 2005; now paid.

CITY CLERK

M. Latroy Williams: As of Tuesday, owed $124,418 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 1997-2007 city taxes and 1997-2006 county taxes). Got 14 citations in Juvenile Court for nonpayment of child support and was held in contempt five times, 1979-2003. Bankruptcy, 1991.

CITY COUNCIL

District 1

Jerry Benya: Bankruptcy, 1996.

Rudolph Daniels: Lost $3,599 judgment in Maryland, 2001. Debtor, State Farm Insurance, now alleges default on $1,924 balance. Evicted from Memphis apartment, 2007.

Stephanie Gatewood: Received General Sessions Court order to garnish her wages after losing $400 judgment to city Memphis EMS, 2002. Lost $2,376 judgment to Methodist Healthcare, 2002.

Jesse Jeff: Three bankruptcies: 1997 (2) in St. Louis; and 1998 in Memphis. As of Tuesday owed $7,748 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2006 and 2007 city taxes and 2006 county taxes).

Antonio "2 Shay” Parkinson: Lost $156 judgment, 2007.

Riesel Sandridge: Wages garnisheed by General Sessions Court to satisfy $1,661 loan, 2003. Lost $2,282 judgment for breach of contract on home repairs, 2005. Wages garnished to satisfy $985 judgment, 2006.

District 2

Daryl Benson: Bankruptcy, 2007.

Scott Pearce: Served with federal tax liens for $330,948 in unpaid income and payroll taxes, 2002-2004. Lost a $552,000 judgment in Chancery Court to Trustmark Bank for alleged default, 2004 — records indicate it remains unpaid. Lost $10,000 judgment in Circuit Cuourt to JEH Inc., 2007. Lost $43,000 default judgement in Circuit Court to Renasant Bank, 2007. General Sessions garnishment order served on his bank accounts to satisfy $17,782 judgment won by Marshall County Lumber Co., 2004. Currently fighting General Sessions eviction suit brought in July. Also fighting breach of contract suit filed in Circuit Court in August by Renasant Bank.

District 3

Albert Banks III: Two bankruptcies, 2001, 2005.

Harold Collins: Served with federal tax liens for $155,512 in unpaid tax penalties, 2003. Lost $44,059 agreed Chancery Court judgment to First Tennessee Bank after alleged default on business loan, 2005.

Davida Cruthird: Bankruptcy, 1998.

Ronald Peterson: Wages garnished by Department of Employment Security to recover overpaid benefits, 2007. Four contempt citations in Juvenile for nonpayment of child support, 1989-1992; jailed 1990.

Madeleine Cooper Taylor: In March 2006 paid $7,187 in back taxes owed the IRS from 1997, 2000 and 2002.

District 4

Wanda Halbert: Wages garnisheed after losing $1,660 judgment to Sign Services Inc. for campaign signs, 2001. Faces ongoing suit by LVNV Funding for alleged past due debt of $2,332.

Johnny Hatcher Jr.: Pleaded guilty to reckless driving and no driver’s license, 1995.

District 5

Jeff Bailey: Pleaded guilty to patronizing prostitution, 1992. General Sessions garnishment order served on his bank accounts to collect $1,889 credit card debt, 2002.

Richard Parks: Pleaded guilty to contempt of court, 2005.

Kerry Rogers: Pleaded guilty, possession of controlled substance, 1989; reckless driving and no driver license, 1992. Found guilty, violation of vehicle registration, 1997. Two bankruptcies: 2002, 2003.

District 6

Perry Bond: Bankruptcy, 2000. Bank account garnished toward collecting $3,192 General Sessions judgment to Sears Roebuck, 1999.

Charles Etta Chavez: As of Tuesday owed $77 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2007 city taxes and 2006 county taxes).

Alicia Howard: Bankruptcy, 2000.

Willie H. Justice III: Lost $863 judgment in General Sessions Court to Midland Funding, 2007. Faces ongoing suit by Capital One Bank seeking $6,346.

Clifford Lewis: As of Tuesday owed $5,966 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 1998 and 2000-2007 city taxes and 2001-2006 county taxes).

District 7

Veronica Sherfield Castillo: Five bankruptcies: 1995, 1996 (2), 1997, 2007. Wages garnisheed in General Sessions Court for nonpayment of furniture debt, 1999. Target of garnishment orders for nonpayment of student-related debt, 2006.

Barbara Swearengen Ware: As of Tuesday owed $1,379 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2006 and 2007 city taxes and 2006 county taxes).

Preston Poindexter: Two bankruptcies: 1995, 2005. Served with federal tax liens for $51,000 in unpaid income taxes, 2004. Lost home in foreclosure sale, March 2007.

Derek D. Richardson: Lost $1,500 judgment in General Sessions, and paid, 2005. Lost $1,988 judgments with appeal pending, 2006.

District 8 Position 1

Ian Randolph: As of Tuesday owed $6,846 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (included 2006 and 2007 city taxes and 2005 and 2006 county taxes). Bankruptcy, 1991.

Tiffany L. Lowe: Pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, a felony, 1997. pleaded guilty to felony forgery, 1997. Served with a restraining order after a former lover alleged she roughed up two people, 1999. Wages garnisheed after losing $5,691 judgment to Delta Medical Center, 2007.

District 8 Position 2

Janis Fullilove: Wages garnished to satisfy $370 judgment won by Dr. Christine Mroz, 2005. Ordered to pay $50 a month to the clerk of General Sessions Court to satisfy $600 judgment won by Metropolitan Anesthesia Alliance, 2007.

Henry Hooper: Subject of 2005 federal tax liens by IRS claiming $445,603 in unpaid income taxes owed from 1998 to 2001.

Matthew Jordan: As of Tuesday owed $6,604 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2006 and 2007 city taxes and 2006 county taxes).

David Vinciarelli: pleaded guilty to criminal trespass, 1990. Two bankruptcies: 1997, 2004.

Trennie Williams: Bankruptcy, 2007.

District 8 Position 3

Del Gill: Bankruptcy, 2005. pleaded guilty to reckless driving, 1982.

Myron Lowery: Pleaded guilty to assault and battery, 1982.

Toni Strong: Two bankruptcies: 1996, 2006.

District 9 Position 3

Reid Hedgepeth: As of Tuesday owed $33,202 in delinquent property taxes, penalties and interest (includes 2006 and 2007 city taxes and 2006 county taxes).

Known as “King Willie” because of his tyrannical misuse of power, the mayor lives in a $529,400 house at 5281 Horn Lake Road, a rather nice neighborhood. Here’s an aerial view of his 5 bedroom, 4 full bath home.

He also owns an adjoining lot at the corner of Horn Lake and Dubois Drive, which has been appraised by the Shelby County Assessor of Property at $45,000.

In October 2005, Herenton sold the lot to E.W. Moon, LLC (view the warranty deed) for $50,000. Then just months later, in May 2006, Moon gave the property back. Gave, as in “for free”. (View the quit claim.)

Herenton is now building a home on the lot and sees “nothing improper” about the deal with Moon, even though Moon has received $702,000 no-bid city road design contracts from the mayor since 2002. (The mayor is the man that approves city contracts. As I understand it, the city council can’t do anything except make recommendations.)

Reached in his Los Angeles office, Moon said he didn’t give or loan Herenton $50,000, but said he forwarded the money to the mayor because he intends to buy the house when it’s finished. Moon said he doesn’t have a written contract on the house but does have an oral agreement to buy it.

“You don’t have to put everything in writing. We’re friends,” he said.

Indeed. And you don’t have to exchange money in the light of day, either. It takes really good, trustworthy friends to move money under the table. And this looks like a good way to move money under the table — only they got caught.

But so what? It seems that these actions don’t even violate Memphis’ ethics rules!

This is not the first time that this particular lot has made Willie money. According to records on the Shelby County Register of Deeds site, Herenton sold this lot to Joyce P. Kelly in 1996 for $35,000. Then in 2003, Kelly sold it back to the mayor for $28,000 — after seven years of real estate appreciation as high-dollar houses sprung up all around it. After all, it is located in Banneker Estates, a gated community that Herenton has developed and in which his own home is located.

The name Joyce Kelly is a familiar one in Memphis politics, as it is the name of the mayor’s girlfriend and sometimes fiancee. She first entered the public light in 1989, when County Commissioner Pete Sisson charged Herenton (who was Memphis City Schools Superintendent) with promoting Joyce Kelly to principal of Corry Junior High while she was having an affair with Herenton (Thaddeus Mathews has a scan of the story).