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MEET
MICHAEL O.
HARRIS
>> PUBLIC STEWARDSHIP
>> CIVIC INNOVATION
>> INSTITUTIONAL LEADERSHIP
Michael O. Harris is a Memphis native, Navy veteran, and public sector leader who has built his career fixing systems that aren’t working for people.
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From neighborhood development to public authority leadership, he has been called into moments where trust is low, processes are broken, and communities are not seeing results—and has delivered structure, accountability, and outcomes that last.
​His experience spans government, nonprofit leadership, finance, and entertainment—where he learned early how to operate in high-pressure, ever-changing environments while staying focused on people, performance, and results.
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Now, he’s running to bring that same discipline to public leadership—ensuring systems work the way they should, communities see real impact, and trust is restored through consistent execution.
The Only Candidate Currently Leading
a Public Land and Property System
Michael O. Harris currently serves as President and CEO of the Memphis Metropolitan Land Bank Authority and is the only candidate currently working hands-on with land and property every day.
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In his role, he deals directly with vacant lots, abandoned properties, redevelopment, and neighborhood stability. He is making real decisions about how land is used, how communities recover, and how neighborhoods move forward.
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That matters for this race because property values do not exist in a vacuum.
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The Assessor’s job is to determine what property is worth. But those values are shaped by what is actually happening on the ground—whether a neighborhood is improving or declining, whether blight is addressed or ignored, whether investment is happening or not.
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Michael’s work sits on that front line.
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He has been part of the process that turns vacant land into housing, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates the conditions that drive property values in the first place.
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He is not just studying property values.
He has been helping shape them.
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That real-world experience brings a level of understanding that goes beyond theory—grounded in how property, neighborhoods, and value are actually connected.
This election...
We have a choice...
Why I'm Running:
I’m running because I’ve spent my career inside the systems that are supposed to serve our communities—and I’ve seen where they break.​ I’ve seen what it looks like when leadership isn’t clear. When people follow process, but nothing actually gets better. When decisions get made, but families, neighborhoods, and communities never feel the result.
And I’ve seen what happens when it’s done right.​ I’ve been called into organizations when things were off track—when trust was low, when people were frustrated, when the work wasn’t reaching those who needed it most. My role has been to bring order, rebuild trust, and make those systems actually deliver.​ That’s the work I know. That’s the work I do.​
But at a certain point, you have to make a decision. Do you keep fixing pieces from the outside—or do you step forward and take responsibility for how the whole system works?​ For me, that decision became clear. I’m running because I believe people deserve more than promises. They deserve systems that work. They deserve leadership that understands how things actually get done—and has the discipline to follow through.​ This isn’t about politics for me. It’s about responsibility. And I’m ready to carry it, Shelby County!
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