Latest news with #ChokweAntarLumumba
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Lumumba addresses council's hiring freeze, says recent hires were about serving residents
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba defended two recent hires made during the final weeks of his second term — decisions that prompted the Jackson City Council to pass an ordinance implementing a hiring freeze on most city positions through the end of June. Lumumba recently appointed Tariq Abdul-Tawwab as deputy director of the Public Works Department and former Hinds County Supervisor David Archie as a staff assistant in the mayor's office. Abdul-Tawwab previously served as 'chief experience officer' at JXN Water in 2023 but left later that year. His wife, Candace Abdul-Tawwab, is a director at the People's Advocacy Institute, a nonprofit founded by the mayor's sister, Rukia Lumumba. Archie, who ran against Lumumba in the April 1 primary, endorsed the mayor ahead of the April 22 runoff, according to a Facebook post shared by Lumumba on April 18. Council President and Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay, who introduced the hiring freeze ordinance on May 20, previously confirmed the two appointments influenced her decision to bring the legislation forward. Speaking after the council's Tuesday meeting, Lumumba initially declined to comment, saying, 'I don't have any thoughts,' when asked about the council's hiring freeze. But he later defended the hires, saying both positions were vacant and essential to city operations. "Both of those positions were vacant and they both serve the community and our responsibility is to serve the community until the end," Lumumba said. "One vacancy deals directly with constituent complaints every day, so if people are in need of water at senior centers, if people need somebody to come check out their pothole — I would imagine that the residents don't want me to leave them with 60 days of not responding to those issues." Lumumba also pushed back on criticism that the hires were politically motivated. "It's not a political thing. It's a responding thing. So both of those positions are about responding to residents needs," Lumumba said. Before Lumumba addressed the hiring freeze, the council approved an amendment to the original ordinance during its regular meeting to allow for additional hires. The original ordinance, obtained by the Clarion Ledger, freezes all vacant positions — and those expected to become vacant — within the executive branch, except for roles specifically assigned to the Jackson Police Department and Jackson Fire Department. Lindsay introduced the amendment to allow JPD to hire critical positions, such as 911 dispatchers. It also permits the hiring of seasonal workers in the Department of Parks and Recreation, including an educational specialist and three zookeepers at the Jackson Zoo, two lifeguards and park maintenance staff. The amendment further allows the city to hire CDL drivers for the Division of Solid Waste and two employees in the Department of Finance and Administration, positions Chief Financial Officer Fidelis Malembeka said he is prepared to fill. The council passed the amended ordinance in a 6-0 vote. Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes was not in attendance when the vote was called. The hiring freeze remains until June 30. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson MS mayor Lumumba defends hires as council tweaks city hiring freeze
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Jackson, MS, election results for June 3 general election for mayor, city council races
Jackson voters returned to the polls Tuesday, June 3, to vote in the general election to decide the mayor of Jackson as well as five Jackson City Council races. One thing is certain: Jackson will have a new mayor. Two-term Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba was defeated by Democratic Sen. John Horhn in the April 22 primary runoff. Horhn is facing Republican challenger Kenneth Gee and four independents: Rodney DePriest, Zach Servis, Lillie Stewart-Robinson and Kim Wade. Wade announced in mid-May that he is endorsing DePriest and is urging his supporters to vote for him. His name still appeared on the June 3 ballot because he did not withdraw from the race in time. For the Jackson City Council, five seats are up grabs: Wards 1, 2, 3, 5 and 7. Unlike the earlier rounds, there will be no runoff. The candidate with the most votes wins and assumes office starting July 1. Below is a look at the results for the Jackson mayor and city council races: Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell retained his seat after the Democratic April 1 primary, defeating challenger Malcolm May. Grizzell is running unopposed in the general election, therefore winning the seat. It will be his second term on the council. Democrat Lashia Brown-Thomas won the April 22 primary runoff election, defeating Emon Thompson. Brown-Thomas will be the Ward 6 representative on the Jackson City Council as she is running unopposed in the general election. She replaces current Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks, who decided not to run for reelection. Council President Virgi Lindsay announced in January that she would not seek reelection. Three candidates are vying to replace her to represent Ward 7. Contact Charlie Drape at cdrape@ This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson, MS, election results for June 3, 2025 for mayor, city council
Washington Post
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Washington Post
Mayor of Mississippi's capital city fights for third term despite federal bribery indictment
JACKSON, Miss. — The mayor of Mississippi's capital city , who's under indictment on federal bribery and conspiracy charges, is fighting to keep his job. In a matchup Jackson voters have seen before, Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba , seeking a third term, faces state Sen. John Horhn in a Democratic primary runoff on Tuesday.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Jackson mayoral, council Democratic results are official. Who's on April 22 runoff ballot?
The official results of Jackson's municipal primary elections have been certified and posted online at the Mississippi Secretary of State's website. The official results were certified April 10, but it's unclear when they were posted online, according to Kyle Kirkpatrick, assistant secretary of state for the MSOS' elections division. This includes results for both the Democratic mayoral primaries, as well as the Democratic primaries for the seven seats on the Jackson City Council. The official Republican mayoral primary results have not been posted to the MSOS website at the time of this publishing. Republican primaries were not held for any council seats. Below are the official results. In a few days, State Sen. John Horhn will face off again against incumbent Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in the Tuesday, April 22 Democratic runoff election. Horhn dominated with 48.4% of the vote compared to Lumumba's 16.8%. Horhn fell just shy of the 50% plus one needed to win outright. Lumumba is seeking his third term in office. In total, 25,558 ballots were cast in the Democratic mayoral primary, an increase from the 2021 primary but not by much. In 2021, a total of 19,997 ballots were cast in the Democratic primary, according to previous Clarion Ledger reporting. The 2025 municipal election saw a massive field of Democratic candidates, including two who were disqualified earlier this year. Here's a look at the Democratic mayoral candidates' official totals, according to certified results from the MSOS website: John Horhn: 12,359 votes; 48.4%. Chokwe Antar Lumumba: 4,285 votes; 16.8%. Tim Henderson: 3499 votes; 13.7%. Delano Funches: 2,118 votes; 8.3%. Marcus Wallace: 1,041 votes; 4.1% Socrates Garrett: 684 votes; 2.7%. David Archie: 552 votes; 2.2%. LaKeisha J. Crye: 361 votes; 1.4%. Albert Wilson: 281 votes; 1.1%. James Hopkins: 264 votes; 1.0%. Kourtney Christopher Paige: 85 votes; 0.3%. James "Blue" Butler: 29 votes; 0.1%. Democratic candidate Jasmine Barnes won the Democratic primary in Ward 1, according to the official results. She dominated the field with over 60% of the vote. Barnes will face Independent candidates Grace Greene and incumbent Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote in the June 3 election. Foote normally runs as a Republican, but decided to run as an independent this year. In total, 4,051 ballots were cast in Ward 1's Democratic primary election. Below is a look at the official results: Jasmine Barnes: 2,535 votes; 62.6%. Stephen Thompson: 792 votes; 19.6%. Jessica Carter: 481 votes; 11.9%. Rhoda Barnes: 243 votes; 6.0% It was a rematch between Incumbent Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay and candidate Marcus Cheatham in the Democratic primary elections. The two faced off in Ward 2's special election held in October after the resignation of former councilwoman Angelique Lee. And once again, Clay bested Cheatham. Clay will face-off against Republican challenger Bethany Williams-Sherif in the June 3 general election. Williams-Sherif ran unopposed in the Republican primary. In total, 4,656 ballots were cast in Ward 2's Democratic primary election. Below is a look at the official results. Tina Clay: 3,011 votes; 64.7% Marcus Cheatham: 1,645 votes; 35.3%. Longtime Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes didn't have to worry about a thing as he was running unopposed in the Democratic primary. But come the June 3, Stokes will be challenged by Independent candidate Marques Jackson in the general election. In total, Stokes received 3,080 votes in the Democratic election. Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Grizzell cruised to an easy victory in the Democratic primary, easily defeating challenger Malcolm May. With no Republican or Independent candidates challenging him in the June 3 general election, Grizzell has secured a second term serving on the Jackson City Council. In total, 3,407 ballots were cast in Ward 4's Democratic primary. Below is a look at the official results: Brian Grizzell: 2,421 votes; 71.1% Malcolm May: 986 votes; 28.9%. Incumbent Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley secured his party's nomination after winning the Democratic primary. He is seeking his second term on the council. Hartley defeated two Democratic challengers ReJohnna Brown-Mitchell and Charles Alexander. Hartley will now head to the June 3 general election where he will face Independent candidate Raymond McCants III. In total, 2,460 ballots were cast in Ward 5's Democratic primary. Below is a look at the official results: Vernon Hartley: 1,362 votes; 55.4%. ReJohnna Brown-Mitchell: 724 votes; 29.4%. Charles Alexander: 374 votes; 15.2%. The council primary race with the most amount of candidates is unsurprisingly headed to an April 22 runoff election. Nine Democratic candidates faced off Tuesday with the winner receiving nearly 23% of the vote. The winner of the Ward 6 Democratic primary was Emon Thompson. He will be facing Lashia Brown-Thomas in the runoff. The winner will become the next Ward 6 council member as no Independent or Republican candidate is challenging in the general election. In total, 3,120 ballots were cast in Ward 6's Democratic primary. Below is a look at the official results: Emon Thompson: 716 votes; 22.9%. Lashia Brown-Thomas: 656 votes; 21.0%. Jonathan Cottrell: 422 votes; 13.5%. Lee Bernard: 380 votes; 12.2%. Daniel LaPatrick Walker: 320 votes; 10.3%. Lee Scott: 219 votes; 7.0%. Brad Davis: 206 votes; 6.6%. Antonio Porter: 131 votes 4.2%. George Monroe: 70 votes; 2.2%. Kevin Parkinson will face off against Quint Withers in the April 22 Democratic runoff. Parkinson received the most amount of votes out of the five Democratic candidates, with Withers following closely behind. The winner of the runoff will face independent candidate Ron Aldridge and Republican Taylor Turcotte in the June 3 general election. Turcotte did not have any challengers in the Republican primary. Independent candidates do not hold primary elections. In total, 2,930 ballots were cast in Ward 7's Democratic primary. Below is a look at the official results: Kevin Parkinson: 1,125 votes; 38.4%. Quint Withers: 939 votes; 32.0%. Corinthian "Corey" Sanders: 305 votes; 10.4% Turner Martin: 302 votes; 10.3%. Bruce Burton: 259 votes; 8.8%. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson, MS, vote: Mayor, council Democratic primary totals now final
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What led to Lumumba's primary defeat? Jackson mayor blames ‘false narrative,' GOP voters
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba is gearing up for a comeback in the primary runoff election and vowed that he will be "calling in the reinforcements" after his main rival, Mississippi Sen. John Horhn, soundly defeated him in Tuesday's Democratic primary. "I want to thank the people who voted for us, and I want to thank even the people who did not, and I want to speak to you," Lumumba said Tuesday night at his election watch party. "I want you to know that I will be out in your community, I will be knocking on your door so that we can make certain that you have a clear understanding of the work that we've been doing and the vision going forward." Joined by his wife Ebony, their daughters and members of his administration, Lumumba addressed reporters at his watch party Tuesday night after finishing second in the Democratic primary. While he began by thanking supporters, he soon shifted to a defensive stance, blaming what he called a "false narrative" for undermining his bid for a third term. "The narrative will be 'well you know there's a case,'" Lumumba said. "I'm going to be clear that I am not guilty of any wrongdoing. I am not guilty of any wrongdoing. I am not guilty of any wrongdoing. But I admit that I love this city so much that I am going to fight relentlessly in order to make certain that everybody gets the quality of life they deserve." The "case" in question is the five felony bribery charges Lumumba was indicted for in November 2024. Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens, and Jackson City Councilman Aaron Banks were indicted on federal charges for allegedly soliciting and accepting bribes from undercover FBI agents posing as real estate developers interested in constructing a convention center hotel in Downtown Jackson. All three pleaded not guilty to a combined total of 17 federal charges. A trial has been set for July 2026. Because of the indictment, Lumumba said Tuesday night that he has "not directly asked anyone" for contributions to his campaign. However, his recently submitted March campaign finance report, obtained by the Clarion Ledger, shows he received $11,000 in contributions from five individuals between February and March. During that same period, he spent nearly $36,000 on his campaign. "When there's an inability to even raise funds, I never even told you that, I have not directly asked anybody for a donation to my campaign," Lumumba said. "So, if this campaign looks a little different, that's the reason why because we can't do that, or I can't do that because of what's going on." Lumumba also blamed Republicans who may have crossed over to vote in the Democratic primary for his loss. This appears to reference Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote, who is running as an Independent this year, encouraging his Republican supporters to participate in the mayoral Democratic primary, as independents do not hold primaries. In previous elections, Foote ran as a Republican. In the end, Lumumba struck a determined note as he closed his speech. "All we wanted was an opportunity, and so we stand here ready and willing to serve and ready and willing to fight," Lumumba finished to applause. Lumumba received 4,124 votes, or nearly 17% of the total vote in the Democratic primary, according to the unofficial results released Tuesday night after polls closed. Lumumba's total was nearly 7,800 fewer than his longtime election rival Horhn. See unofficial results: Jackson mayor race election results Lumumba and Horhn have duked it out in past mayoral elections. Most recently in Jackson's 2017 mayoral election which saw Lumumba handily defeat Horhn in the Democratic primary. But this time around Horhn came out victorious, dominating the Democratic primary with 11,909 votes, or just over 48%, according to the unofficial results. It wasn't enough to secure the primary win outright as Horhn needed 50% of the vote plus one to avoid going to a runoff. There are still some absentee and affidavit ballots to be counted, according to Jackson Municipal Clerk Angela Harris, so there is small possibility Horhn could receive the necessary votes required to avoid a runoff. But it's likely that Horhn and Lumumba will duke it out once again in the runoff election scheduled for April 22. The winner will meet the winner of the Republican primary runoff and four independent candidates in the June 3 general election. This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson mayor eyes runoff, cites 'false narrative' in primary defeat
