The city of Vicksburg will soon have a new mayor after incumbent George Flaggs was upset in his fourth reelection bid on Tuesday night.
Flaggs, a former Democrat turned independent candidate, was defeated by Willis Thompson, who represents the incumbent’s former party. Thompson, a former Vicksburg South Ward alderman, narrowly defeated the longtime River City mayor, winning by 61 votes. The Democratic challenger garnered 1,770 votes while Flaggs received 1,709 of the ballots cast. Independent Kasman Massey received 546 votes.
“This will be a campaign about every citizen and taxpayer in our community who desperately needs to see Vicksburg succeed,” Thompson said when announcing his candidacy for mayor.
In recent years, Vicksburg leadership has had to put multiple youth curfews in place as a result of an uptick in violence by juveniles. To address the criminal element of the community, Thompson plans to work on improving the quality of life for citizens of Vicksburg through public safety initiatives and further investment in youth programs.
Another issue hindering Vicksburg’s ability to capitalize on its historic charm is aging infrastructure, particularly in the downtown area. Through “productive partnerships” with community leaders, Thompson vows to come up with a strategy to improve facilities and roads across the city to build a more business-friendly environment.
“By the grace of God and with this community’s support, we can turn Vicksburg around,” Thompson stated.
Thompson, who brands himself as a spiritual leader, will take office on July 1.
