While Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba had the endorsement of three former mayoral candidates and “several others” working behind the scenes, it wasn’t enough to win a Democratic runoff against challenging state Sen. John Horhn.
Horhn, who received over $100,000 in campaign donations in the three weeks between the April 1 primary and Tuesday’s runoff, was backed by local business leaders, large-church pastors, the capital city’s fire union, and federal players like Congressman Bennie Thompson and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Mike Espy. More importantly, Horhn was backed by nearly 75% of residents who returned to the polls on Tuesday.
“People in Jackson are saying they want change,” Horhn told supporters when the race was called. “They want better leadership, better streets, less potholes, less crime, more opportunities, better jobs, but more than anything else, they want to bring our city together. So, thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for bringing this city together. We have a general election to get through, but we’re on our way.”
Horhn, 70, has served as a state senator representing the northwestern part of Jackson for more than three decades. He’s often used stops and voter forums along the campaign trail to tout relationships he has with fellow lawmakers – on both sides of the aisle – and the result being millions allocated to his hometown. Legislature-funded projects Horhn played a role in securing include $90 million for the creation of the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and Museum of Mississippi History, $85 million for the downtown convention center, and $20 million for the JSU Metro Parkway.
He said before the runoff that more money would have been sent from the capitol building to the city that houses it if there was a mayor in office most lawmakers could trust. According to Horhn, Lumumba has never been in good graces with enough lawmakers to attain extra funding during his eight years as mayor of Jackson.
“We are going to prioritize a restoration of trust and accountability between the city and the taxpayers as well as between the city and the state and federal government,” Horhn said. “We believe the restoration of this trust is going to yield valuable resources for us.”
Horhn’s fourth bid for mayor has so far proven to be his most successful, especially after falling to Lumumba in the 2017 Democratic primary. The redemption run has been fueled by residents upset over decaying roadways, high homicide rates, and a historically lackluster water system that has seen some improvement since being moved under a federal receivership in recent years.
Lumumba, 42, was also hampered by a recent indictment on federal bribery and conspiracy charges. As he awaits trial scheduled for next summer, the two-term mayor and son of late Mayor Chokwe Lumumba, Sr., tried to use the waning weeks of his campaign season to “fix the narrative” through proclamations of his innocence, public appearances, and press conferences that some criticized as a bid at division guised as unity.
After only receiving around 17% of the vote during the 12-candidate primary earlier this month, compared to Horhn’s nearly 49%, Lumumba and his team worked to not only further publicize his accomplishments while in office but also portray Horhn as a candidate ready to allow a full state takeover of the capital city.
During the campaign, Lumumba supporters often referenced the Mississippi Legislature’s move two years ago to expand state police’s jurisdiction and presence in Jackson, rarely acknowledging Horhn voted against the move, and said Horhn intends to let go of control of the city’s airport in an ongoing fight against the state. Horhn vehemently denied the claims and instead argued that his relationship with lawmakers is a better recipe than constant contention in avoiding a state takeover, making for one of the main reasons Congressman Thompson endorsed Horhn after backing Lumumba in the past.
“Given the many challenges facing Jackson, I am convinced that John Horhn is better suited to handle these challenges,” Thompson wrote in an endorsement letter a week before the runoff. “During lengthy talks with John, he’s shared his vision for the city of Jackson about public safety, urban blight, housing, economic development, and transportation. He is 100% opposed to the state’s hostile takeover actions of the Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.”
Going into the runoff, Lumumba received endorsements from three candidates who also lost in the Democratic primary: David Archie, Delano Funches, and James Hopkins. It’s unclear if they, or any other former candidates, will support Horhn in the general election. However, Horhn did say Tuesday night that “this is an opportunity for us to come together for Jackson.”
Horhn now heads into the June 3 general election as the clear frontrunner to become Jackson’s next mayor. In a city that has long been controlled by Democrats, the winner of the party’s primary has gone on to be mayor every cycle this century. He will face off against Republican nominee Kenny Gee, who also won a Tuesday runoff, albeit with little turnout, and independents Rodney DePriest, Zach Servis, Lille Stewart-Robinson, and Kim Wade.
