Jackson is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. Along with Raymond, Jackson is one of two county seats for Hinds County. The city had a population of 153,701 at the 2020 census, a significant decline from 173,514, or 11.42%, since the 2010 census, representing the largest decline in population during the decade of any major U.S. city. Jackson is the anchor for the Jackson metropolitan statistical area, the largest metropolitan area located entirely in the state and the tenth-largest urban area in the Deep South. With a 2020 population of nearly 600,000, metropolitan Jackson is home to over one-fifth of Mississippi's population. The city sits on the Pearl River and is located in the greater Jackson Prairie region of Mississippi. Jackson is the only city in Mississippi with a population exceeding 100,000 people.
Frank Ervin Melton was the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, United States, from 4 July 2005 until his death on 7 May 2009. Melton, an African American, defeated the city's first black mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. Melton won 63 percent of the vote in the Democratic primary against Johnson, who had served two terms. Melton quickly swept into action to rid Jackson of drug-related crime, improve economic development, and improve city infrastructure. Since Melton became mayor, he touted economic-development projects totaling over $1.6 billion, creating at least 4,500 jobs in the city. Others pointed out that many of those projects were in the works when he started in office. He was embroiled in several controversies during his tenure, including questionable power breaches and criminal misdemeanor activity.
Patrick Hayes "Pete" Johnson Jr. is an American politician and lawyer who served as State Auditor of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992. Originally a Democrat, he joined the Republican Party in 1989, thus becoming the first Republican to hold statewide office in Mississippi since the Reconstruction era. He mounted an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 1991. He served as Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority from 2002 to 2011.
Dewey Phillip Bryant is an American politician who served as the 64th governor of Mississippi from 2012 to 2020. A member of the Republican Party, he was the 31st lieutenant governor of Mississippi from 2008 to 2012 and 40th state auditor of Mississippi from 1996 to 2008. Bryant was elected governor in 2011, defeating the Democratic nominee Mayor Johnny DuPree of Hattiesburg. He was re-elected in 2015, defeating Democratic nominee Robert Gray.
The 2008 United States Senate special election in Mississippi was held on November 4, 2008. This election was held on the same day of Thad Cochran's re-election bid in the regularly scheduled Class II election. The winner of this special election served the rest of the Senate term, which ended in January 2013. Unlike most Senate elections, this was a non-partisan election in which the candidate who got a majority of the vote won, and if the first-place candidate did not get 50%, a runoff election with the top two candidates would have been held. In the election, no run-off was necessary as Republican nominee and incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker won election to finish the term.
The 2008 congressional elections in Mississippi were held on November 4, 2008 to determine who will represent the state of Mississippi in the United States House of Representatives. The primary election for candidates seeking the nomination of the Republican Party or the Democratic Party was held on March 11, with a run-off being held for the Republican nomination in the first and third districts, and for the Democratic nomination in the first district.
Chokwe Lumumba was an American attorney, activist, and politician, who was affiliated with the black separatist organization Republic of New Afrika and served as its second vice president. He served as a human rights lawyer in Michigan and Mississippi. In 2013, after serving on the City Council, he was elected as Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi.
The 2015 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 3, 2015, to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Republican Governor Phil Bryant ran for re-election to a second and final term in office. This is the highest percentage that a Republican has ever won in a gubernatorial election in Mississippi.
Tony Yarber is an American pastor, educator and politician in Jackson, Mississippi. He was elected as Mayor of Jackson in April 2014 from special election following the death in office of Chokwe Lumumba. A native of Jackson and experienced city councilor, Yarber is noted for his passion for youth causes, and has been described as "a consensus builder". He was succeeded as Mayor of Jackson by his predecessor's son Chokwe Antar Lumumba on July 3, 2017.
A general election was held in the U.S. state of Mississippi on November 3, 2015. All of Mississippi's executive officers were up for election. Primary elections were held on August 4, 2015, with primary runoffs to be held on August 25, 2015 if no candidate received a majority in the primary. The filing deadline for primary ballot access was February 27.
The 2019 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 2019, to choose the next Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Governor Phil Bryant was ineligible to run for a third term due to term limits. The Democratic Party nominated incumbent Attorney General Jim Hood, the only Democrat holding statewide office in Mississippi; the Republican Party nominated incumbent Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves. In the general election, Reeves defeated Hood by a margin of 5.08%, with Reeves significantly underperforming Trump who won the state by 17 points, 3 years prior.
The 1963 Mississippi gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1963, in order to elect the Governor of Mississippi. Incumbent Democrat Ross Barnett was term-limited, and could not run for reelection to a second term.
The 2017 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 6, 2017, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Chokwe Antar Lumumba, son of late former mayor Chokwe Lumumba was elected mayor in a landslide in the general election after defeating eight other candidates, including incumbent mayor Tony Yarber in the primary.
Chokwe Antar Lumumba is an American attorney, activist, and politician serving as the 53rd mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, the 7th consecutive African-American to hold the position.
The 2013 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 4, 2013, alongside other Jackson municipal races. City councilman Chokwe Lumumba was elected mayor in a landslide in the general election after defeating Jonathan Lee and incumbent mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. in the primary.
The 2009 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 2, 2009, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Former mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr. was elected after defeating councilman Marshand Crisler and incumbent mayor Frank Melton in the primary. Melton died on May 7, 2009, two days after not making the runoff in the Democratic primary.
The 2014 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on April 22, 2014. It was necessitated after the death of incumbent mayor Chokwe Lumumba. Councilman Tony Yarber defeated the late Lumumba's son Chokwe Antar Lumumba in a runoff. Other candidates in the race included former mayor Harvey Johnson, Jr., city council members Melvin Priester and Margaret Barrett-Simon, and state senator John Horhn.
The 2021 mayoral election in Jackson, Mississippi took place on June 8, 2021, alongside other Jackson municipal races. Incumbent mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba was re-elected to a second term in office. Primary elections took place on April 6. The deadline to register to vote in the party primaries was March 8.
Charles Tillman is an American politician who served on the Jackson, Mississippi City council for twelve years and as acting mayor after the death of Chokwe Lumumba, becoming the 5th consecutive African-American mayor of the city.
