For Shelandra Ford, the Register of Deeds office isn't just about paperwork; it's the vault of Shelby County’s history and the firewall for its homeowners. After serving as Register from 2018 to 2022, Ford is returning to the race with a singular mission: to finish the job she started and address a systemic failure that she says has left homeowners vulnerable.

When Ford first entered the office in 2018, she walked into a disaster zone. "I literally walked into the archives and found permanent records in garbage bags," she reveals. She inherited a 15-year backlog of unrecorded deeds—a crisis that meant some residents claiming family land couldn't find their records in the system simply because they had never been properly digitized. Ford modernized the office, moving it from Windows 7 to E-filing and opening satellite offices in the Downtown and Southbrook Mall areas to make government accessible again.

However, since leaving office in 2022, Ford claims the momentum has stopped. "Fraudulent deed filing is up by 33%," she notes, citing recent reports. "We have people's homes being stolen in the middle of the night." Ford was the original architect of the free property fraud alert program and lobbied the state to allow the Register’s office to require ID—a common-sense measure previously barred by outdated laws.

Ford is a specialist with 24 years of county experience, and she’s running on a platform of Accountability and Restoration. She wants to launch an internship program for local college students to help digitize the massive archives, turning a administrative crisis into a historical preservation opportunity.

"I lead with integrity and transparency," Ford says. "Being an elected official isn't about being in a clique or a fraternity; it’s about reporting to work every day and doing what you said you were going to do. I’m running to finish the work of keeping your home safe."