MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Civil Rights Attorney Ben Crump is getting involved in the race for Memphis mayor. Crump has now endorsed candidate Van Turner.
Turner posted a video showing Crump's support in which the attorney talks about Turner's work as head of the Memphis NAACP chapter as well as Turner working as a county commissioner before that.
More than a dozen other candidates are running to replace Memphis mayor Jim Strickland. The mayoral seat, along with a few city council seats, will be on the ticket in October.
In May, a Shelby County judge ruled in favor of Turner and candidate Floyd Bonner Jr. in a lawsuit challenging them on residency requirements for mayoral eligibility.
They are both now able to run for office without a looming lawsuit from the Memphis City Council claiming their running for election went against the city's residency requirements.
Meanwhile, a non-partisan group hoping to increase voter turnout across the Memphis-area has held various "Meet and Greet" events with several of the candidates.
In April, "Up The Vote" hosted five of the candidates set for the Memphis mayoral election. Paul Young, Michelle McKissack, JW Gibson, Reggie Hall and Karen Camper were in attendance.
They each spoke about their platform as well issues important to them. Topics covered included affordable housing, public safety and fighting blight.
The director of Up the Vote 901 said events like these are important for many reasons and should be replicated throughout the country.
"I think, on one hand, it is important because it proves that certain candidates are willing to come to communities and meet people where they are, especially in some of the communities we've chosen where people are often disinvested and disenfranchised," Dr. Earle Fisher said.