In just shy of three weeks, Democratic residents in Mississippi’s capital city will once again cast their ballots for mayor, deciding whether to nominate incumbent Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba for a third term or to turn the helm over to longtime Democratic Mississippi Sen. John Horhn.
A legacy of advocacy and activism runs deep for both Horhn–son of Charlie Horhn–and Lumumba, the son of Nubia and former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba.
In recent years, both have also voiced their concerns about state-sponsored takeovers of the capital city’s assets.
Tuesday night, Jackson voters showed that years after Horhn first ran for the position, they could be ready to give him the job.
‘Our City is Worth Saving’
Shortly after voting precincts closed on Tuesday night, cheerful supporters of John Horhn gathered inside The Rookery, an event venue on North State Street. He took an early lead, jumping ahead of Lumumba before half of the precincts had reported results.
About an hour after the party began, Horhn made his entrance to roaring applause and cheers alongside his wife Lydia Gail Horhn, daughter Charla Horhn and father Charlie Horhn.
State lawmakers like Zakiya Summers and Justis Gibbs were in attendance as well as Jackson entrepreneur Jeff Good, whom Horhn thanked for his support.
“I’m elated that we’ve had support from all sectors of Jackson—young, old, rich, poor, Black, white,” Horhn told reporters as votes were still being counted.
When it became apparent that he would not secure enough votes to avoid a primary run-off, Horhn took the stage, delivering a brief speech and making it clear that he planned to win. “We got this close to knocking it all the way out of the park. But in three weeks, we’re going to hit a triple home run,” he said, referring to the April 22 runoff for municipal primaries across the state.
“Our city is worth saving. Jackson is worth saving,” Horhn continued. Some of Horhn’s supporters began to leave once he delivered the speech, but many remained—talking, laughing, sipping wine, nibbling on food and taking photos.
One of those supporters was Ermea Russell, a former Mississippi Court of Appeals Judge who told the Mississippi Free Press that she has worked with Horhn for years and trusts his judgment.
In an interview Tuesday night, Russell said that although Horhn previously ran for mayor and lost, the current mayor’s federal indictment may have swayed some residents to re-consider the longtime senator.
“Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. I think the indictment of the current mayor may have motivated some folks to understand that the City of Jackson needs a change,” she told the Mississippi Free Press.
Lumumba faces several charges related to a federal bribery case allegedly involving multiple Hinds County elected officials. Prosecutors alleged in an indictment unsealed on Nov. 7, 2024, that Lumumba accepted $50,000 in donations to his re-election campaign from two FBI agents posing as real-estate developers in exchange for using his power as an elected official to influence the request-for-proposal process for a multi-million-dollar commercial development project.
He has denied all wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty during his Nov. 7, 2024, arraignment at the Thad Cochran United States Courthouse. U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi Judge Daniel P. Jordan has set a July 13, 2026, trial date for Lumumba and his co-defendents, Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.
Lumumba Vows To Change ‘False Narrative’
Minutes away from Sen. Horhn’s party at a location on State Street, Lumumba’s election night watch party maintained a more reserved mood. As election officials counted ballots and the results continued to come in, a smaller, more intimate group trickled in—first Lumumba’s team and members of the media, then his supporters.
It was a stark contrast to May 2017, when Democratic primary voters first elected Lumumba. On the night of the Democratic primary that year, the crowd buzzed with excitement as Lumumba secured over 55% of the vote, defeating Horhn who came in second place with about 21% of the vote.
Ahead of the April 1 primary this year, some voters told the Mississippi Free Press that they were disappointed with the mayor’s track record and his alleged involvement in the bribery case.
On Tuesday evening, a few loyalists stood behind Lumumba as he spoke into television cameras and vowed to campaign over the next few weeks to win over voters who did not cast their ballots for him.
“I want you to know that I will be out in your community, I will be knocking on your door so that you have a clear understanding of the work we’ve been doing and the vision going forward,” the mayor said as his wife and daughters stood by his side.
The mayor went on to say that he will work in the coming weeks to change what he called the “false narrative” around his administration. “We’re going to correct this narrative,” Lumumba said. “They’ve tried to not speak about the accomplishments of this administration. We’re going to come to you so that you have a direct and clear understanding of who we are and why we’re fighting for you.”
He emphatically addressed the looming federal bribery trial head-on. “I am not guilty of any wrongdoing. I am not guilty of any wrongdoing. I am not guilty of any wrongdoing,” Lumumba said, drawing applause from his supporters.
The run-off election is April 22, 2025, with the general election following on June 3. Anyone who voted in the April 1 primary may only vote in the same party’s runoff on April 22, but are free to vote however they want in the June 3 general election. Registered voters who did not vote in the April 1 primary can vote in either party’s runoff on April 22.
You must be registered 30 days before an election to cast a ballot in Mississippi and must bring an accepted form of voter ID. More information on voter ID, including how to obtain a free voter ID, is available here.
