How a Match Made in Heaven Became Historic

By Theryn C. Bond

If you’d have asked Torrey Harris and I in 2017 if we would be making history, we would have told you No. If you’d asked us again on August 2, 2018, if we’d give it another go, we would have told you again, No. In 2019, we would have told you Yes, but not how.  These past few years have been challenging for the both us.

A quick trip down memory lane puts Torrey and I meeting at another candidate’s campaign kickoff, fall 2017.  I’m a research nut, so I had heard of Torrey, but I wasn’t aware of all the quirks, bells, and whistles.  After our initial conversation, we clicked.  There was a mutual understanding and respect for one another and how we wanted to create change in our community.  Not long after, he invited me to attend a candidate/campaign manager training with him in Nashville.  I obliged, because I’m a person that likes to learn all sides of a thing and campaign management had not yet been added to my bag of tricks. Little did I know that that weekend in Nashville would kickstart our journey with him becoming elected as Tennessee State Representative for District 90.

Representative Torrey Harris with Campaign Manager Theryn C. Bond

That initial weekend, Torrey and I were both able to observe one another in a high-paced, heavy note taking, Democrat filled space.  We learned that we balanced each other mentally and emotionally. Most importantly, in that frenetic space, our trust was established.

Upon returning to Memphis, Torrey requested a meeting with me. It was at that meeting, as we dined on lemon pepper wings, that I signed on the dotted line and we became a team.  We met at Onix.  It’s now closed, but that restaurant is very special to the two of us as it became the hub for weekly meetings that shaped his first run for office.  

As a team we committed to work every single day to secure a win for Torrey.  We knocked on doors. We made phone calls. We designed a mail piece.  We both worked full time jobs.  We were even blessed with a few volunteers.  We fought and were grateful for whatever help we could get.  We ran a campaign with maximum effort and heart, but minimal everything else.  We worked hard, but it wasn’t enough to secure the win. At the end of that first campaign, we both had our political cherries popped. His as a candidate for elected office.  Mine as a campaign manager.

I will never forget the look on Torrey’s face the night of his loss.  It wasn’t a sight I ever wanted to see again or an experience I wanted to repeat.  After this loss, he took some much-needed time to recoup and relax.  During his time of recouping, I felt immense guilt and questioned a lot.  Did we do enough? What went wrong? Was it me? Was it the electorate? District 90 deserves real leadership. Why did the 2018 election results not reflect this? 

After a short period of time, Torrey said he wanted to give it another go.  I was excited for him, but I knew his second run would have to be different.  In the midst of these initial discussions, I was diagnosed with Stage 3B Cervical Cancer, so neither of us knew if I would even be alive to run his campaign again. Thank GOD for chemo, radiation, prayer, and supportive people. Once I became a functioning person, Torrey and I began to discuss his second run and he asked me if I would serve as his 2020 Campaign Manager.  I was honored and delighted to do so.

Torrey’s second run was rooted with the same energy, heart, and intention of the first campaign, but he had a much larger support staff this time.  And, Commissioner Sawyer’s 2016 campaign broke ground and set the foundation for Torrey to run in 2020. This foundation, paired with the experience from the 2018 run, helped. Torrey further increased his name recognition by remaining present in the community and transitioning to a higher profile job with the county. Additionally, he had a dedicated staff for communications, phone banking, canvassing, and fundraising. The sum of all of this brought us to where we are today. 

We campaigned for over a year. With all of these efforts, District 90 now has, after 26 years, new leadership. True Democratic leadership. A leader dedicated to listening, empowering, and serving. We call him Representative Harris.

Representative Harris didn’t wait until November 4, 2020 to begin doing the work. He’s been doing it all along.  It isn’t an occasional thing for him.  It is who he is.  You should expect to see Representative Harris support and bring forth legislation that is fueled directly from the residents he serves.