Meet the 5 people running for the Memphis school board election in District 9

The five candidates running for Memphis’ District 9 school board seat range from a longtime incumbent and former board chair to the sole state takeover advocate on the 2026 ballot.

All are running in the district’s first school board Democratic primary on May 5 to fill the seat held by current vice chair Joyse Dorse Coleman since 2018. This election comes as state lawmakers are moving to create a board of managers that could take away local authority and key board functions.

Early voting begins on April 15.

The five District 9 candidates include Coleman, a former board chair, and Damon Curry Morris, a vocal parent advocate and pro-state takeover candidate. Jonathan Carroll is a local Democratic party leader running as a school system outsider, and Louis Morganfield is the building engineer at Ida B. Wells Academy. Tamara Jordan has more than a decade of experience teaching in and leading local charter schools.


https://dailymemphian.com/section/metroelections/article/61982/meet-the-5-people-running-for-the-memphis-school