Theresa Robinson has called her North Jackson neighborhood home for nearly 30 years. Before that, she lived in West Jackson while attending classes at Jackson State University.
She is one of the 114,006 registered voters in the capital city.
On May 13, weeks ahead of the June 3 general election, she joined a throng of other residents of Mississippi’s capital city inside New Jerusalem Church to hear plans from the remaining candidates for mayor on issues like solving the city’s infrastructure challenges, providing city services and restoring trust in local government.
Although she already knows who she will be voting for, Robinson said she wanted to hear all the candidates discuss their plans for reviving the city she said has transformed drastically since she was a college student.
“I’ve seen changes from when I was first coming out of Jackson State and living in West Jackson near the Zoo. I could walk (outside) at midnight and nobody would bother me. I’ve seen it change over the years to the point where neighbors don’t even go out anymore,” she told the Mississippi Free Press.
Candidates Share Plans for ‘First 100 Days’
Six candidates now remain in the race to become Jackson’s next mayor.
Longtime state senator John Horhn beat incumbent Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba for the Democratic nomination on April 22. Law enforcement officer Kenny Gee defeated Wilfred Beal to secure the Republican nomination on the same day. Joining them on the ballot are four independents: Kim Wade, Rodney DePriest, Zach Servis and Lillie Stewart-Robinson.
Much of the conversation among voters this election cycle has surrounded how the next administration will repair the city’s infrastructure, mitigate crime and ensure transparency in local government operations.
During the May 13 forum at New Jerusalem Church, four of the remaining candidates shared with voters what they would like to accomplish in their first 100 days as mayor, if elected.
Servis said he would focus on “accessibility, accountability and affordability” during his first 100 days as mayor. “One of the first things we’re going to do is hire a public works director. We’re going to restructure the organization of the entire City employee structure. We’re going to balance out the salaries,” Servis said.
Stewart-Robinson said she wants to bring together a cohort of city employees, city council members and a representative from each ward to address poverty in the capital city.
“We know that there’s systemic poverty in Jackson,” Robinson told voters. “If we can deal with the poverty issue and if we can deal with a great, quality education for our youth, I believe we will be able to tackle crime, infrastructure, potholes, all the things that need cleaning. We can do this but I want a group of people that will join me so that we can unify this city together.”
Horhn said that in an effort to “paint a new picture of Jackson,” his administration would focus on restoring trust in city government among residents and state leaders, delivering basic city services and developing a comprehensive plan of action to move the city forward.
DePriest, who told the crowd that he sees Jackson as “broken on many levels,” said that, if elected, his first 100 days would include meetings with city employees, analyzing the City’s finances and working with the Jackson City Council to set goals for the city.
Wade and Gee did not participate in the forum discussion.
In 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that the state of Mississippi was one of the only three states whose population shrank in the past decade, though later revisions found that the state’s population merely stagnated. Data from the 2020 Census showed that there were 153,701 residents within the city of Jackson, down from over 200,000 in 1980.
More recent data shows that the city’s population has fallen to 143,709. Approximately just 22% of registered voters cast a ballot in this year’s municipal primary election on April 22.
‘Proud To Be A Jacksonian’
As voters exited New Jerusalem Church following the forum, Dana Wilson Caston, another longtime Jackson resident, stopped to speak with the Mississippi Free Press.
She grew up in Jackson’s Georgetown neighborhood nearly six decades ago and her family moved to West Jackson when she was about 4 years old. A graduate of Callaway High School, she now calls North Jackson home.
Caston believes Rodney DePriest is the best person to move the capital city forward. DePriest formerly served as a Board of Aldermen in Clinton and has worked in construction and banking.
“I know him personally and I know he would be great for the City of Jackson,” she said. “He’s coming fresh. He’s coming not with, ‘I know this person. I know that person.’ We need something new. I just believe he’s the man for Jackson.”
Theresa Robinson did not say which candidates she supports, but she told the Mississippi Free Press that she longs for a day when people will once again see the city of Jackson as “a viable option … to live here, to work here, to plant roots here, to grow a family here.”
“Our reputation as a city has suffered,” Robinson continued. “I wanted to hear what somebody had to say about restoring those things that make me feel proud to be a Jacksonian. And I am proud to be a Jacksonian.”
The general election is June 3.