Electing Jackson’s leaders: Live updates in Lumumba-Horhn mayoral, council runoffs

Jackson Mayor Chokwe Lumumba and longtime state Senator John Horhn are competing Tuesday in a Democratic primary runoff for mayor, a race that historically decides the city’s next leader. Read Mississippi Today’s profiles of Lumumba and Horhn.

The election has been characterized by a widespread desire for change among Jackson residents as well as anxieties about the city’s future self-determination. Read what Jackson voters had to say about the election before the April 1 primary and again leading up to the April 22 runoff.

Horhn dominated in the first primary, securing more than 48% of the vote out of 12 candidates, leading in all but two precincts and nearly winning the election outright. Read an in-depth analysis of the precinct-level results of that election here.

Jackson’s 2025 municipal election saw a whopping 52 total candidates for mayor and council. The large fields, in addition to last year’s ward redistricting and polling location changes, created challenges for voters in casting a ballot. Fewer than one-fourth of residents voted in the primary. Runoffs typically see a drop-off of voter participation, but some local civic organizations are hoping to change that.

Residents in wards 6 and 7 also will also vote Tuesday in a Democratic primary runoff for a new city councilperson. Read Mississippi Today’s features on the council races and issues impacting Ward 6 and Ward 7.

Follow along for live updates throughout the day and evening.

10:31AM

Horhn campaign found no  election “irregularities” this morning, spokesperson says

State Sen. John Horhn’s poll watchers checked voting machines at key precincts throughout the city this morning and did not find any “irregularities,” meaning all the machines were at zero votes when the polls opened at 7 a.m., said Eric Walker, a campaign spokesperson. There are more than 80 precincts in Jackson, and some of the locations the Horhn campaign is watching include Tougaloo, Fondren Church, Timberlawn Elementary, Christ United and Casey Elementary.  

At the end of the day, the poll watchers will check the number of votes on the machines against their manual count of each voter who entered the precinct.

“Typically what we do is we have our poll workers sit there and they count each person that comes in and they make hangman sticks if you will,” Walker said. 

Last night, Horhn told WAPT that he wanted every voting machine in the city checked to ensure there is no “hanky-panky” on Election Day.