If the special election for mayor were held today, Christian Ware, age 10, said she’d vote for Carol Chumney. The fourth-grader at Peabody Elementary thinks it would be great to have a female mayor. Chumney, she says, “is kind and wouldn’t be like other people.”

Christian Ware, age 10, said she’d vote for Carol Chumney, who helped Christian and her family recover from a severe storm that hit Memphis on June 12. (Photo by Wiley Henry)

“Children don’t vote, but they’ll often tell their parents who they like or dislike,” said Chumney, who helped Christian and her family recover from a severe storm that hit Memphis on June 12.

Now that Mayor Willie W. Herenton has announced his retirement at the end of the month and the City Council officially has declared a vacancy, a band of local candidates are swinging into campaign mode.

As a slate of mayoral hopefuls discuss their visions of the future, Memphis youth are growing more vocal and demanding action on their concerns.

This summer, mayoral contender Dr. Kenneth T. Whalum Jr. organized a youth summit where young people citywide gathered to develop a Memphis Youth Manifesto.

Spearheaded by The New Olivet Baptist Church, where Whalum is pastor, students ranging from kindergarten to college dove into the political process and began to offer ideas for fixing what’s wrong.

“This was a movement and organization where they developed principles and policies for the future survival of Memphis,” said Whalum, who believes that youth are driving more than the political process. “They are driving the bus.”

“Yes,” agrees attorney Charles Carpenter, who managed most of Herenton’s five mayoral campaigns. “Children are our future. We’re making kids a part of our campaign.”

Carpenter said he’s passionate about the children of Memphis and notes the importance of their involvement at early ages. “If they work within the system, they can be successful in accomplishing their goals.”

Children have lots to say, added Chumney, who was surrounded by them in early July at a backyard party in Midtown hosted by Don Tillilie, a Memphis developer.

“You get a different perspective when you talk to them; you get their views on the world,” said Chumney. “That’s why I think children have a huge role in politics.”

During a political season, children often are observers and political workers, said Larry Moore, a University of Memphis professor and political analyst.

Moore said both adults and youth are disconnected from the political process. While connecting with youth is important, candidates “don’t want to focus . . . on people who can’t vote. When they’re older – 15, 16, and 17 – they can become the crop of voters politicians need on down the road.”

Whalum noted a groundswell of young voters – skilled at using technology like texting, emailing and social networks – helped catapult Barack Obama into the White House. He predicts a similar grass-roots campaign will put him over the top on Election Day.

“I don’t have the support of the conventional wisdom crowd,” the school board commissioner said. “To the degree that I’m successful would be among the Obama sect.”

The social networking skills that youth have mastered allow them to organize and connect inexpensively, said Shelby County Mayor A C Wharton Jr., who was the first to announce his candidacy for Memphis mayor.

“They have superior communication skills. They can reach more people by pecking on their cell phones and blackberries,” he said. “Even if it’s a good message or bad message, they can reach more people than those of us who are voting.”

  Wharton said those who sow seeds of progress might not be around to enjoy the fruit of their labor – but the youth will. Therefore, “I think to vote or not is just as important or more than those of us who vote.”

City Council Chairman Myron Lowery, who will serve at least 90 days as mayor pro tem after Herenton’s departure, said any conversation about the mayor’s race, on his part, is premature until he files as a candidate.

“The day I file, we can talk about the campaign,” said Lowery, who already announced his transition team and his intentions to run in the special election.

“As far as I’m concern, it’s all hype.”