Who will be the interim council member for Memphis Superdistrict 9, Position 1?

The Memphis Daily News reports that the four candidates for the council appointment are:

1. Jimmy Ogle, former Memphis Park Commission executive director and Mud Island general manager.
2. Richard Stringer, business owner with several bids for the City Council in recent years.
3. Jack Sammons, former City Council member who chose not to seek re-election in the 2007 city elections.
4. John Willingham, former Shelby County Board of Commissioners member, two-time candidate for Memphis mayor and a candidate for Shelby County mayor.
   

The Memphis City Council will decide Scott McCormick's interim replacement from this list today. Sammons could step right in without a lengthy orientation on council procedures. Willingham is the only candidate who is also running for the permanent seat. Generally, I prefer that interim legislators agree not to run for the seat they keep warm.

Chair of Memphis City Council Resigns

City Council Chairman Scott McCormick announced that he will resign his position to become executive director of the Plough Foundation. McCormick was one of the few returning members of the previous City Council term that included two resignations from ethics scandals and criminal prosections. McCormick sought censure of then council members Rickey Peete and Edmund Ford, Senior after the two were charged in Operation Main Street Sweeper.

The City Council will appoint an interim replacement that will hold the seat until Memphians in Superdistrict 9 elect a new council member for Position 1 on November 4th. More on the story here and here.

Many of the following candidates who live in Superdistrict 9 and placed well in last year's council elections may decide to run for the open seat:

• Desi Franklin and Mary Wilder who placed second and third, respectively, to Reid Hedgpeth in Superdistrict 9, Pos. 3.
• Brian Stephens who placed a close second to Bill Boyd in District 2 (inside Superdistrict 9).
• Kemp Conrad and Joe Saino who placed second and third, respectively, in the Superdistrict 9, Pos. 2 race to Shea Flinn.
  

Carol Chumney who ran for City Mayor and formerly represented City Council District 5 and State House District 89 may also decide to run for re-election to the council.