Written By JR Robinson

Kevin Morales has lived in Memphis for 16 years, and at 25, he refuses to wait until his "later years" to fix the problems he sees every day. Running for Shelby County Commission District 7, Morales is motivated by a visible disparity he calls the "Jackson Avenue Line"—where humble, neglected homes sit directly across the street from gated luxury developments.

"One single street shouldn't dictate your quality of life," Morales says. "I want to provide the same opportunities for success in North Memphis that other neighborhoods take for granted."

Morales’s platform centers on the "Local First" economy. He is a vocal critic of the PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) programs, noting that Memphis has over 200 such contracts while neighbors like Nashville have far fewer. He argues that these tax breaks haven't stopped companies like IKEA from leaving, and he proposes increasing the tax rate for large corporations to at least 50% to fund social services and local business growth.

"If a company wants to come to Memphis, they’ll come. But we shouldn't let them push us around while we receive nothing in return," Morales argues. He believes the backbone of Memphis isn't in big-box retail, but in the local grocery stores and entrepreneurs who stay in the community even when things get tough.

Beyond economics, Morales is laser-focused on education as a long-term solution to crime. He advocates for specialized training programs that prepare high schoolers for high-paying jobs immediately upon graduation, ensuring they don't have to choose between a fast-food job or a life of crime. "We have to start at the center, and that is education," says Morales. "It’s how we provide a long-term solution for safety and prosperity."