Jackson Free Press

After garnering just shy of 70% of the votes in a field of five mayoral candidates, incumbent City of Jackson Mayor Chokwe A. Lumumba emerged the winner and will serve four more years.

The 13,160 votes on Tuesday, June 8, for Lumumba, a Democrat, constitutes 69.07% of the total votes cast for mayor in the election. Independents Les Tannehill, Charlotte Reeves, and Shafeqah "Big Mama" Lodree received 2,536 (13.31%), 1,697 (8.91%) and 801 (4.2%) votes, respectively. Republican Jason Wells drew 786 votes (4.13%).

In his post-election speech, Lumumba gave a nod to supporters and members of his administration. "I thank the citizens of Jackson, I thank the residents of this beautiful city, that we're willing to buy into a vision that we're willing to see through the rhetoric that we're willing to understand that our problems are deep and that we have to work collectively in order to solve them," he said.

"And even as we campaigned today, I worried about the residents, not only in south Jackson, but the residents in Presidential Hills who were without water because of our continued woes with our water-treatment facility," he added. "And I pledge to you not only would we rebuild our water-treatment facilities so that you have sustainable, dependable and equitable water, but we're going to rebuild this infrastructure from top to bottom. And we're going to do it, not because you have an amazing mayor, but because you are an amazing people. We're going to work together in order to make it happen."

The seven city wards also elected representatives to the Jackson City Council on Tuesday. Brian C. Grizzell, a Democrat, will replace De'Keither Stamps as Ward 4 councilman. Stamps became District 66 Representative in the Mississippi Legislature in October 2020.

Grizzell, a Democrat who ran unopposed on Tuesday, drew 2,771 votes. Ward 5's Vernon Hartley ran unopposed and received 1,703 votes. He will replace Council Vice President Charles Tillman, whom he defeated in the Democratic primary. Grizzell and Hartley join the city council for their first term.

In Wards 1 and 2, Republican Ashby M. Foote and Democrat Angelique Lee, both unopposed incumbents, received 2,229 and 3,548 respective votes and retained their positions on the city council for the next four years.

In Ward 3, incumbent Kenneth Stokes, a Democrat, with 2,023 (74.68%) votes, fended off the challenge from Patricia Williams, an independent who received 674 (24.88%) votes. After receiving 1,978 (87.91) votes, Ward 6 Councilman and Council President Aaron Banks, a Democrat, defeated Zidkejah Wilks, a Republican, who received 259 votes (11.51%).

Incumbent Ward 7 Councilwoman Virgi Lindsay, A Democrat, won with 1,776 (81.91%) votes. Her opponent Bryan Keller, a Libertarian, received 381 (17.53%) votes.

Mayor Lumumba stressed his priorities for the next four years, covering infrastructure, economic development and security. "We will create a safer Jackson, Mississippi; we will build more economic development in our city," he said.

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