Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. enters Democratic race for Tennessee governor

Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley Jr. officially threw his hat into the ring for the Democratic nomination for governor Wednesday, marking his 34th birthday with balloons and the start of his push for Tennessee's highest office. 

“I truly believe that we are more alike than we are different. I believe that we all want to create more job opportunities for our next generation," Smiley said.  "We all want equitable access to healthcare – whether you live in an urban community or a rural part of our state. We all want better roads, stronger bridges, reliable internet to connect us to the rest of the world and each other. We all want better for our children, our families, and our future."

During his campaign kickoff event Wednesday morning, Smiley noted how his father, JB Smiley Sr., 75, was born on a plantation in Mississippi and how in the course of one generation his family had gone from a cotton field to the Memphis City Council. 

He emphasized his relationships throughout Tennessee and throughout Shelby County. Those relationships and the burgeoning political network Smiley has built over the past several years. 

Smiley was introduced Wednesday by several fellow members of the city council, Jerri Green, assistant county attorney and Democratic operative, and his political mentor, former Shelby County Commissioner Julian Bolton. His council colleagues — Michalyn Easter-Thomas and Martavius Jones — as well as Green and Bolton all emphasized his intelligence and work ethic in their introductions. 

Smiley framed his entrance into the race in stark terms — Tennesseans are less healthy and less prosperous under Gov. Bill Lee than they would be if he was governor. He critiqued the low rate of COVID-19 vaccinations and the fight over masking in schools. He also pledged to expand healthcare coverage and build a better pipeline for agricultural jobs. 

"It's increasingly, incredibly clear to me that we've all found and are suffering discomfort from the policies and inaction from our government," Smiley said. "Tennesseans deserve better. Tennesseans demand better." 

During his time on council, Smiley has been an outspoken voice for equity as part of a new and growing progressive faction of the Memphis council. In one instance, he pressured Mayor Jim Strickland to hold off on renewing a ramping permit — the ability to claim specific parking spots — for the restaurant Flight, which had been accused of racist behavior. Strickland delayed approving the permits. 

Smiley is a native Memphian who was elected to the Memphis City Council in 2019 and took office early last year.  A lawyer by trade, he has his own firm, Smiley & Associates. He graduated from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock attended Tennessee Technological University and the University of Pikeville in Kentucky, where he played basketball. 

Smiley's formal entrance into the Democratic fray comes a few weeks after Nashville physician Jason Martin announced he was seeking the party's nomination. Whether Smiley wins the party's nomination or not, the race offers an opportunity for him to build his name recognition statewide and offers him the chance of being Shelby County's first statewide figure since former Congressman Harold Ford Jr. lost the race for U.S. Senate in 2006. 

Previously reported:Memphis City Councilman JB Smiley, Jr. considering run for Tennessee governor

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.