Jackson Free Press

Editor’s note: The Jackson Free Press earlier reported that 21 municipal candidates had qualified to run for City of Jackson offices as of the Feb. 5 deadline and that only the city council president and vice president are facing challenges. This information is not correct though derived from a supposedly current list on the City of Jackson’s website. There are 34 candidates, and only one city council seat is uncontested. The city clerk on Feb. 16 directed our reporter to another place on the city’s website with the correct list.

By the Feb. 5 deadline, 34 candidates had officially signed up for City of Jackson municipal elections. Independent candidate Shafequah BigMama Lodree joined the list of mayoral contenders challenging Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba after the Jackson Free Press reported in January that two Democrats, two independents and one Republican were running for mayor, meaning that the general election on June 8 will be a three-way race. This also sets up a potential Democratic runoff for mayor on April 6, if one candidate does not draw a majority of the vote in the primary on April 27.

All but one council seat—Ward 1—are in contention. Ward 4 incumbent Councilman De’Keither Stamps is not running for re-election. He was elected to the Mississippi House of Representatives representing District 66 in October, and four candidates are seeking to replace him on the city council.

Sixteen candidates announced their intentions to run as candidates after the Jackson Free Press’ initial reporting on Jan. 26.

The list of 2021 City of Jackson candidates are:

Mayor

Democratic Party: Chokwe A. Lumumba (incumbent), Patty Patterson, Kenneth Wilson

Republican Party: Ponto R. Downing, Jason Wells

Independent: Lance Darnel Brown, Shafequah BigMama Lodree, Charlotte Reeves

Ward 1

Republican Party: Ashby Foote (unopposed)

Ward 2

Democratic Party: Angelique Lee (incumbent), James Paige

Ward 3

Democratic Party: Gwen Ward Chapman, Kenneth Stokes (incumbent), E. Sirena Wilson,

Independent: Patricia Williams

Ward 4

Democratic Party: Jacqueline R. Amos, Malcolm Dwight, Brian Carlyle Grizzell, Eddie James, Karen Gayle Porter, McKay "Pleshette" Smith, Larry Maurice Wilson

Ward 5

Democratic Party: Vernon William Hartley, Rickey Jones, James Ridgley Jr., Adam Sanders, Charles H. Tillman (incumbent)

Ward 6

Democratic Party: Aaron Banks (incumbent), Angela Clark, Brad Quinn Davis, Patricia Jackson

Republican Party: Zidkejah Wilks

Ward 7

Democratic Party: Virgi Lindsay (incumbent)

Libertarian Party: Bryan Keller

Email story tips to city/county reporter Kayode Crown at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at @kayodecrown.