Fact Check: Shelby County Primary Outcomes for Mayor, Sheriff and District 5

TL;DR: Mickell M. Lowery’s Democratic primary win for Shelby County Mayor is confirmed. Anthony Buckner’s sheriff primary victory is projected but not yet certified. Shante Avant’s District 5 result cannot be verified with the current sources.

Claim 1: Mickell M. Lowery won the Democratic primary for Shelby County Mayor and will face Republican John J. Deberry Jr. in the general election.

Evidence: County Commissioner Mickell Lowery declared victory in the Democratic primary with 41% of the vote. Local election listings name her as the Democratic nominee and show Republican John J. Deberry Jr. as her opponent in the August general election.

Verdict: True.

Analysis: Two independent news outlets reported the same outcome, confirming Lowery’s share of the vote and the matchup. No contradictory information appeared in the reviewed sources.

Claim 2: Anthony Buckner won the Democratic primary for Shelby County Sheriff and will face Republican Brad Less in the general election.

Evidence: Local news projects Chief Deputy Anthony Buckner as the winner of the Democratic primary for sheriff. The same outlet states he will challenge Republican Brad Less, while noting that official certification is still pending.

Verdict: Mostly true.

Analysis: The projection relies on a single local source that has not yet released final tallies. Until the election commission certifies the result, the claim remains provisional.

Claim 3: Shante Avant won the Democratic primary for Shelby County Commissioner District 5.

Evidence: The provided news articles cover other races but do not mention District 5 or Shante Avant in their primary coverage. No vote totals or candidate names for that district appear in the sources.

Verdict: Unverifiable.

Analysis: Because the sources omit any reference to the race, there is no basis to confirm or deny Avant’s purported win. Additional official records would be needed to settle the question.

These results shape the Democratic ticket for the upcoming general election in Shelby County.

Watch for the official certification of the sheriff primary and the preparations for the August general election across Shelby County.