When polls across Mississippi closed Tuesday evening after a day full of municipal races, eyes statewide turned to see if voters in the capital city were going to stick with or move away from embattled Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba.
While no candidate in the Democratic primary broke the required 50% threshold, a tough task with 12 candidates on the ballot, it quickly became apparent that Lumumba had lost support since his last bid for mayor in 2021. After winning the primary four years ago with nearly 70% of the vote, the incumbent eclipsed just 16% on Tuesday.
Late Tuesday night, with 99% of precincts reporting, state Sen. John Horhn had a commanding lead at 48.4% – just shy of avoiding a runoff – while Lumumba was in second with 16.8%. Tim Henderson rounded out the top three with 13.5% of the vote. Citizens will now be asked to return to the polls on Tuesday, April 22, to choose between Horhn and Lumumba ahead of the general election.
Lumumba, for months, has been wrapped up in a federal bribery indictment, alleging he accepted $50,000 in bribes from undercover FBI informants. As he awaits a trial date set for next summer, Lumumba has tried to convey to voters that the indictment is nothing but “political prosecution.” He even told TV reporters after a runoff was confirmed that he is working to “fix the narrative” and will be knocking on doors for the next three weeks to share more information on the work he has done while in office.
Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba watches a debate at the Mississippi Capitol on Feb. 7, 2023, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
Horhn was able to capitalize on the optics of a sitting mayor under investigation and issues the city has battled in recent years, such as an unreliable water system, crumbling infrastructure, and nationally high homicide rates.
“We believe that we have the momentum going into the runoff. We had the momentum coming into today, and we’ll keep pushing the message,” said Horhn, who has represented a portion of Jackson in the
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