Nearly two months after Mississippians last went to the polls, the qualifying period is now open for candidates interested in running for municipal government positions across the state, including in the capital city.
Cities across Mississippi will hold party primaries for municipal positions, including mayoral and city council positions, on Tuesday, April 1, with a general election following on June 3.
There are several guidelines and requirements to qualify.
“Both the mayor and members of the council shall be residents of the municipality for at least two years prior to the general election; however, this does not apply to municipalities with a population of less than 1,000,” the Secretary of State’s 2025 Candidate Qualifying Guide states.
The qualifying deadline for all candidates for municipal offices is January 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
Lumumba Running For Re-Election Despite Bribery Charges
This year, Jackson residents will head to the polls to cast votes for mayor and for City Council members for each of the city’s seven wards.
Incumbent Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba—who along with Ward 6 City Councilman Aaron Banks and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens is currently embroiled in an ongoing federal bribery investigation—has previously indicated his intention to run for a third term.
“As it stands today, it is certainly my intent to run again,” Lumumba told reporters following a press conference last February, months before federal prosecutors announced the indictment.
Following a nearly 8 month undercover FBI operation, a grand jury indicted the mayor with an array of charges that include conspiracy, bribery, wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering with federal prosecutors alleging he accepted $50,000 in bribes to influence the direction of a commercial development project.
On the steps of the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse, following his Nov. 7, 2024, arraignment, Lumumba told reporters that he would “continue to handle the business of the City of Jackson.”
“I am not guilty, so I will not proceed as a guilty man,” the mayor said.
It is not uncommon for elected officials facing indictment to remain in office, The Marshall Project’s Daja E. Henry wrote on Nov. 15, 2024.
While the trial for Lumumba, Banks and Owens was originally set to start on Jan. 6, U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Jordan has granted a motion from the men’s attorneys to delay the trial so that they may review “hundreds of hours of recordings and thousands of pages of other evidence,” Clarion Ledger’s Charlie Drape reported on Nov. 26, 2024.
“Considering that all parties see the case as complex (which it is) and need more time to prepare, the Court specifically finds that ‘the ends of justice served by taking such action outweigh the best interest of the public and the defendant[s] in a speedy trial,'” the judge wrote.
In recent months, several people shared their plans to run for mayor, including Reset Jackson founder James Hopkins, former Edwards, Miss., Mayor Marcus Wallace and Mississippi Sen. John Horhn.
It is Horhn’s third bid for the seat.
During his campaign launch at the Jackson Medical Mall on Oct. 3, 2024, Horhn said that Jackson residents feel they’ve been “let down” and “abandoned” by the city’s leadership.
“Let us not forget the everyday, average folks … those who fear being run over by reckless drivers, who just want a clean drink of water and to be able to flush a toilet and to have streets that don’t tear up your car,” Horhn said.
“(Those who) want traffic lights to work, pay their taxes, pay their bills, try to maintain their communities and are embarrassed by the monumental blight and dilapidation we face in the city that we love. These folks are ready for change,” he continued.
With the qualifying period now officially open, the list of candidates running to unseat the incumbent is likely to grow.
Several City Councilmembers Will Run Again
Many of Jackson’s City Council members have shared that they intend to run for re-election this year as well. However, Ward 7 City Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay will not be one of them.
In a Jan. 6 press release, Lindsay shared the “difficult decision” to not seek a third term.
“It is impossible to list everything we have done in this brief statement because it is the day-to- day decision-making, voting on tough issues, and behind-the-scenes negotiating that are the most critical, and yet most taxing part of being a council member, and especially as the council president,” she said.
Lindsay called it an honor and pleasure to serve.
Ward 4 City Councilman Brian Grizzell, on the other hand, said in a Jan. 1 press release that he will run again.
“While we’ve faced our share of challenges, we’ve also achieved significant victories that demonstrate what we can accomplish together,” Grizzell said. “I am excited to continue this journey and ask for your prayers, support, and vote in this election.”
Ward 2 City Councilwoman Tina Clay recently won the seat after a special election following the resignation of Angelique Lee who also faces a federal charge related to the bribery investigation.
If Clay wants to maintain the seat, she must run again. “I’ve already qualified this morning,” Clay said in a Jan. 2 phone call with the Mississippi Free Press after turning in her qualifying paperwork.
In an interview with the Mississippi Free Press Thursday, Ward 1 City Councilman Ashby Foote confirmed that he will run again.
Amid the bribery investigation, he said, residents do not trust the city’s leadership. “We’ve got to get through this period of uncertainty with the indictment hanging over elected officials in the city of Jackson,” Foote said.
“I’m (going to be) focused on law and order and trying to restore confidence in city government,” he continued.
Ward 3 City Councilman Kenneth Stokes, Ward 5 City Councilman Vernon Hartley and Ward 6 City Councilman Aaron Banks did not respond to requests for comment on this story before publication time.
Those interested in running for office may access the Secretary of State’s official 2025 Candidate Qualifying Guide which provides essential information for those seeking elected office. The Mississippi Secretary of State’s office says that candidates should familiarize themselves with the legal qualifications required to seek and hold office, as well as the qualifying procedures.
The qualifying deadline for all candidates for municipal offices is January 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
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