MEMPHIS, Tenn — On October 5, Paul Young won the non-partisan race for the next mayor of Memphis, defeating three top competitors, including Sheriff Floyd Bonner.
“I’m a Democrat, but I look at all people and all issues and try to make the best decision that’s going to be in the best interest of the constituents,” Young said during his campaign.
Young encouraged more young people to get out and vote during his campaign. His goal was to target all age groups and get his name into households.
“I think the younger voters will vote if they see someone that represents their interests, and I think to date they haven’t seen that,” Young said.
Addressing crime, one of the biggest interests in Memphis, he said when it comes to youth, it's important to make sure those who are committing the crimes are held accountable, but also important to identify who's likely to be in the pool of people creating crimes in the future and "injecting opportunities in their lives."
"When we know they've been truant from school, we know they've been getting suspended, let's find programs that are located in their ZIP codes. Let’s work with their churches. Let's work with the community groups to make sure that we are getting those children enrolled in some programs. That's going to change their trajectory," Young said.
Young also stressed the culture of MPD as a top priority of his. Young has plans to address the mistrust between the community and the Memphis Police Department.
“We have some major issues that we want to address within MPD, the culture or subculture that led to the tragic incident of Tyre Nichols. We want to make sure that that's rooted out, but we also want to make sure that there is transparency, that there's a restoration of trust and faith from the public and we want to make sure that the person at the top is leading that charge," he said.
Aside from crime and MPD, there’s still blight, an issue with seemingly no end in sight that residents voice time and time again. But Young said addressing it will be one of his top priorities as mayor.
“Our neighborhoods are not attractive,” Young asserted. “We need to make sure that they're being cleaned up, that we are addressing blight in a very aggressive way."
Former mayor Jim Strickland said the following about Young's victory:
"Congratulations Paul Young! Your many years of public service will benefit you at city hall. I look forward to working with you and your team as you prepare to become mayor on January 1."
Mayor Lee Harris tweeted the following, also congratulating Young:
"Congratulations, @youngformemphis on winning the race to become the next Mayor of the City of Memphis. All of us in Shelby County can’t wait to work with your administration next year and see all that you will accomplish."
"I'm going to work harder and smarter every day to create the Memphis we all know is possible, and the Memphis that you deserve," Young said during his post-election winning speech.