State Sen. John Horhn’s fourth run for mayor of Jackson was a resounding success. Now, the veteran lawmaker says the hill to climb is a steep one, and it will be far from an easy fix.
Horhn defeated incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in April’s Democratic primary runoff, collecting a whopping 75% of the vote. In the general election, Horhn bested five opponents by garnering roughly 67% of ballots. Some may call it a landslide, but the longtime mayoral hopeful says it’s a “mandate” from citizens for a wholesale turnaround.
“You can play pin the tail on the donkey, and wherever you stick that tail there’s a problem that needs immediate attention,” Horhn said Thursday when previewing what his tenure in city hall may look like.
For starters, the public works department is “decimated,” meaning many basic services that capital city citizens count on are not able to be provided in a consistent, quality manner. Other priority items include expanding and enhancing the police force, addressing blight in south and west Jackson, fixing roads in a sustainable fashion, and shoring up the much-maligned water system.
In short, the mayor-elect says city hall must make a wholesale effort to improve the basic functions of Mississippi’s capital. A large part of that will be mending relationships with the federal, state, and city council levels. Most importantly, a bridge between the municipal government and its citizens must be patched up.
“The taxpayers don’t trust the city’s government any longer. That’s true of the governmental partners, too. The county has a fractured relationship with the city, the state certainly does, and also the federal government. We’ve got to say what we’re going to do and then do what we said we’re going to do,” Horhn explained, pointing to the need for a detailed plan that his administration can put forth to government partners and residents.
“[A comprehensive plan] will cut down on a lot of the bickering and rancor that we’ve gotten accustomed to. We’re not always going to agree, but let’s take that to a back room and come out to speak with one voice. Stonewalling each other makes no sense to me. We’re all in this together.”
The state senator of more than 32 years plans to lean on his relationship in the legislature, along with relationships with many local leaders built up via a lifetime of residence in Jackson.
While Horhn says he hasn’t heard from Lumumba’s camp since winning the runoff or the general election, the transition has been in the works since after the April primary. Former Mayor Kane Ditto, prominent Jackson attorney Robert Gibbs, and New Horizon Church International senior pastor Bishop Ronnie Crudup, Sr., will head Horhn’s transition team, adding another layer of city hall experience and community leadership.
As the new administration cobbles together a leadership team and staff, Horhn says the first item on the docket will be to manage expectations.
Citizens, along with many across Mississippi, have decried Jackson’s regressions. A landslide election victory has led to high hopes for many that a turnaround is coming, but Horhn says Jackson’s issues are deep and will take years to remedy.
“We didn’t get the way we’ve gotten overnight, and we’re not going to get out of it overnight,” Horhn said. “We can’t wave a magic wand and fix all of this stuff, but I think we’ll have some really good things out of the chute.”
On top of expanding the Jackson Police Department, along with adding higher pay and better technology, Horhn’s plan will include enhancing workforce resources, economic development initiatives, and attracting more entertainment options in his plan. But those will only come once the foundation is laid.
“Our city deserves better than it’s been getting,” Horhn said emphatically after the race was called Tuesday. “As Jackson goes, so will go the state of Mississippi.”
Horhn will officially be sworn into the mayor’s seat on July 1.
