President of Selectmen
| Image | President of Selectmen | Years | Notes/Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas H. Dickson | 1834 | ||
| S.P. Baley | 1835 | ||
| Thomas H. Dickson | 1836 | ||
| S.P. Baley | 1836 | ||
| John P. Oldham | 1837–1838 | ||
The post of Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi , was begun in 1834 and was originally referred to as "President of Selectmen" before being changed to "Mayor". The following individuals have held the office:
| Elections in Mississippi |
|---|
 |
| Image | President of Selectmen | Years | Notes/Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas H. Dickson | 1834 | ||
| S.P. Baley | 1835 | ||
| Thomas H. Dickson | 1836 | ||
| S.P. Baley | 1836 | ||
| John P. Oldham | 1837–1838 | ||
| Image | Mayor | Years | Notes/Citation |
|---|---|---|---|
| John P. Oldham | 1839 | ||
| H.R. McDonald | 1840 | ||
| John P. Oldham (2nd term) | 1840–1841 | ||
| James H. Boyd | 1842–1843 | ||
| John P. Oldham (3rd term) | 1844–1849 | ||
| James H. Boyd | 1850 | ||
| J.P. Jones | 1851 | ||
| William H. Taylor | 1852–1853 | ||
| Richard Fletcher | 1854 | ||
| William H. Taylor | 1855–1857 | ||
| James H. Boyd (2nd term) | 1858 | ||
| W.A. Purdom | 1859 | ||
| Richard C. Kerr | 1860–1861 | ||
| Charles Henry Manship | 1862–1863 | ||
| D.N. Barrows | 1864–1867 | ||
| Maj. Thomas H. Norton | 1868 | Union officer appointed as mayor [1] | |
| Bvt. Lt. Col. James Biddle | 1868 | Union officer appointed as mayor | |
| Col. James P. Sessions (J. P. Sessions) | 1868–1869 | Native of Natchez, Mississippi, former Confederate officer, died April 3, 1886 [2] | |
| Rhesa Hatcher | 1869 | [3] | |
| Bvt. Lt. Col. Joseph G. Crane | 1869 | Union officer appointed as mayor; stabbed to death by Edward M. Yerger, a former Confederate officer | |
| Captain F.A. Field | 1869 | Union officer appointed as mayor | |
| A. Way Kelly | 1869 | ||
| E.W. Cabaniss | 1869–1870 | ||
 | Oliver Clifton | 1870–1871 | |
| Rhesa Hatcher (2nd term) | 1871–1872 | ||
| Marion Smith | 1872–1874 | ||
| John McGill | 1874–1888 | ||
| William Henry | 1888–1893 | ||
| L.F. Chiles | 1893–1895 | ||
| | Oliver Clifton (2nd term) | 1895–1897 | |
| Ramsey Wharton | 1897–1899 | ||
| H.M. Taylor | 1899 | ||
| W.W. Morrison | 1899 | Mayor Pro Tem | |
| John W. Todd | 1899–1901 | ||
| William Hemingway | 1901–1905 | ||
| | Oliver Clifton (3rd term) | 1905 | died before taking office |
| Ramsey Wharton (2nd term) | 1905–1909 | ||
 | A.C. Crowder | 1909–1913 | |
| S.J. Taylor | 1913–1917 | ||
| Walter A. Scott | 1917–1945 | ||
| Leland L. Speed | 1945–1949 | ||
| Allen C. Thompson | 1949–1969 | ||
 | Russell C. Davis | 1969–1977 | |
| Dale Danks | 1977–1989 | ||
 | J. Kane Ditto | 1989–1997 | |
 | Harvey Johnson, Jr. | 1997–2005 | first African American Mayor of Jackson |
 | Frank Melton | 2005–2009 | died in office |
 | Leslie B. McLemore | 2009 | interim mayor |
| | Harvey Johnson Jr. (2nd term) | 2009–2013 | |
 | Chokwe Lumumba | 2013–2014 | died in office |
| Charles Tillman | 2014 | ||
 | Tony Yarber | 2014–2017 | |
 | Chokwe Antar Lumumba | 2017–present | [4] |
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.
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Waveland is a city located in Hancock County, Mississippi, United States, on the Gulf of Mexico. It is part of the Gulfport–Biloxi, Mississippi Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city of Waveland was incorporated in 1972. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,435. Waveland was nearly destroyed by Hurricane Camille on August 17, 1969, and by Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2005.
Laurel is a city in and the second county seat of Jones County, Mississippi, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 17,161. Laurel is northeast of Ellisville, the first county seat, which contains the first county courthouse. It has the second county courthouse, as Jones County has two judicial districts. Laurel is the headquarters of the Jones County Sheriff's Department, which administers in the county. Laurel is the principal city of a micropolitan statistical area named for it. Major employers include Howard Industries, Sanderson Farms, Masonite International, Family Health Center, Howse Implement, Thermo-Kool, and South Central Regional Medical Center. Laurel is home to the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Mississippi's oldest art museum, established by the family of Lauren Eastman Rogers.
Magee is a city in Simpson County, Mississippi, United States. It is part of the Jackson metropolitan area.
Harvey Johnson Jr., is an American politician from Mississippi. He was elected in 1997 as the first African American Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, serving two terms. He was known for his achievements in gaining reinvestment in the city to revitalize downtown.
The Jackson Public School District (JPSD) or Jackson Public Schools (JPS) is a public school district serving the majority of Jackson, the state capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Mississippi. Established in 1888, it is the second largest and only urban school district in the state.
Brandon is a city in and the county seat of Rankin County, Mississippi, United States. It was incorporated on December 19, 1831. The population was 25,138 as of the 2020 census. A suburb of Jackson, Brandon is part of the Jackson Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is located east of the state capital.
The 1978 United States Senate election in Mississippi was held on November 7, 1978. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator James Eastland decided to retire.
The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Jackson, Mississippi, USA.
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 special election for Mississippi's 1st congressional district was held on May 12, 2015, to fill the term left by the vacancy created by the death of Alan Nunnelee. Nunnelee, a member of the Republican Party, died on February 6, 2015.
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 Donald Trump, who won the state by 17 points in 2016.
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. In 2024, Lumumba and other officials in the state were indicted on corruption charges.
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 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.
Alney Dale Danks Jr. was an American attorney who served as the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, from 1977 to 1989.
De'Keither Stamps is an American politician serving as a member of the Mississippi Public Service Commission. He previously served in the Mississippi House of Representatives from the 66th district as a Democrat from 2020 to 2024. He ran for the 2023 election to the Mississippi Public Service Commission for the Central District, defeating Republican incumbent Brent Bailey in a rematch of their 2019 race. He assumed office in 2024.
Five characters date from the Civil War era. Glenn Elliott will portray Maj. Thomas H. Norton, decorated Union soldier and later the military mayor of Jackson, Miss., during Reconstruction.