Faced with the options of a younger, self-described radical incumbent mayor and a more moderate and seasoned state senator, Jackson voters chose the latter as the Capital City’s likely new leader Tuesday.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba became mayor in 2017 after beating state Sen. John Horhn and seven other candidates in the democratic primary that year. This year, Horhn’s fourth time running for mayor, the 32-year legislator flipped the script, handily beating Lumumba roughly 3 to 1 in a head-to-head runoff.
By just after 9 p.m. with all but one precinct counted, Horhn’s vote count reached 17,729 compared to Lumumba’s 5,940.
Read Mississippi Today’s live election blog documenting the day and evening.
Election officials began counting ballots at the Jackson Fire Department’s downtown station after the polls closed at 7 p.m. Turnout in northeast Jackson caught officials by surprise, requiring the delivery of more ballots, which seemed to bode well for Horhn, who carried Ward 1 by wide margins in the April 1 primary. The winner of the Democratic primary usually goes on to become mayor, but Horhn will still face one Republican and four independent candidates in the General Election come June.
Residents in wards 6 and 7 also had an opportunity to vote for a new city councilperson Tuesday. In Ward 6, located in south Jackson, voters chose between Lashia Brown-Thomas and Emon Thompson Sr. The winner of the primary will become the next councilmember as there is no Ward 6 challenger in the General Election.
In Ward 7, encompassing parts of downtown, Belhaven, Midtown and Fondren, voters selected either Kevin Parkinson or Quint Withers. The winner faces one Republican and one independent in the General Election.
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