Thirty-five candidates qualified to run for Jackson City Council in January. Now, just 12 remain.
Tuesday, June 3, is general election day in Jackson, and voters will decide whether to keep or replace members of the council. Five of the seven seats are up for grabs. Two seats have candidates running unopposed and, barring a major write-in campaign, those candidates are expected to win.
Below is a look at the candidates who will be on the ballot in each ward, as well as their campaign finance reports that were due Tuesday, May 27. The Clarion Ledger reviewed the reports on Wednesday, May 28.
June 3 is general election day in Jackson, and voters will decide whether to keep or replace members of the Jackson City Council.
Ward 1
Incumbent Ward 1 Councilman Ashby Foote is seeking reelection to the seat he has held since 2014. Typically a Republican, Foote chose to run as an independent this year as a way to encourage voters to participate in the April 1 Democratic mayoral primary — a contest that has historically determined Jackson’s next mayor.
Foote’s challengers include Democratic candidate Jasmine Barnes and independent Grace Greene.
All three candidates submitted the latest batch of campaign finance reports due on May 27. The reports show each candidate has raised tens-of-thousands of dollars, with Foote leading the way.
Foote has raised $48,660 in contributions and has nearly $20,000 in cash on hand, according to his report. Greene reported $42,605 in contributions and $13,562.85 remaining. Barnes raised $32,521 and is entering the final stretch with just under $2,500.
Ward 1 is located in Northeast Jackson, and is one of the city’s most affluent neighborhoods. The ward begins as far south as LeFleur’s Bluff with County Line Road and the Ross Barnett Reservoir serving as the northern boundary. Ward 1 includes neighborhoods such as Eastover, The Country Club of Jackson, Colonial Heights and Sheffield.
See the Ward 1 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 1 election: 4 Democrats, 2 Independents running. Primary election is April 1
Ward 2
Incumbent Ward 2 Councilwoman Tina Clay, a Democrat, is facing off against Republican challenger Bethany Williams-Sherif.
Clay is the newest member currently serving on the council, having won the Ward 2 special election in October 2024. The special election was held due to the resignation of Councilwoman Angelique Lee. Hours after her resignation, Lee ended up pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery in a wide-reaching scandal that includes other elected officials such as Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba, Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks. Unlike Lee, all three have pleaded not guilty.
According to her latest campaign finance report, Clay has raised over $9,000. The report shows she has spent $2,430.35 on campaign mailers from Chrome Strategies.
Williams-Sherif did not submit a campaign finance report.
Ward 2 covers the northern and northwestern parts of Jackson, including neighborhoods such as Presidential Hills, Woodhaven, Natchez Trace Estates and Briarwood Heights. Tougaloo College is also located in the ward.
See the Ward 2 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 2 election: 3 candidates set to face-off. Primary is April 1
Ward 3
Longtime Ward 3 Councilman Kenneth Stokes, who has held the position since 1989 except from 2012-2015, is back on the ballot and will face off against independent Marques Jackson.
Neither Stokes nor Jackson submitted a campaign finance report by the May 27 deadline.
Ward 3 is located in the central and west parts of Jackson. It includes the neighborhoods of Georgetown, Mid-City, Virden Addition and Cottage Grove, as well as Hawkins Field Airport.
See the Ward 3 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 3 election: 2 candidates, a Democrat and an Independent, face off. Primary set for April 1
Ward 4
Incumbent Ward 4 Councilman Brian Grizzell retained his seat after the Democratic April 1 primary, defeating challenger Malcolm May.
Grizzell is running unopposed in the general election, therefore winning the seat. It will be his second term on the council.
According to the latest campaign finance report submitted May 27, the “Committee to Re-Elect Brian Grizzell” has raised a total of $18,042 and spent $17,583.30, leaving $458.70 on hand.
Ward 4 is one of the largest in the city, covering the western portion of Jackson. It extends as far north as Northside Drive, as far west as Buddy Butts Park, and south to parts of South Jackson, including Forest Hill High School. The ward includes neighborhoods such as Belair, Brookhollow Place, Cedar Hills, Oak Creek and parts of Queen-Magnolia Terrace.
See the Ward 4 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 4 election: 2 Democrats face-off to become next councilman in April 1 primary
Ward 5
Incumbent Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley is seeking reelection for a second term after defeating two Democratic challengers, ReJohnna Brown-Mitchell and Charles Alexander, in the April 1 primary election.
Now, Hartley will face independent candidate Raymond McCants III in the general election.
Hartley did not submit a campaign finance report, while McCants did.
McCants’ report shows he has raised $1,646 while spending $1,593. A total of $1,546 of McCant’s contributions came from loans from himself, while $100 came from Yolanda Bullock, who lives in Detroit, according to the report.
Ward 5 is located in West Jackson with its eastern boundary being Downtown Jackson. The ward encompasses the Jackson State University campus and the Jackson Zoo, as well as neighborhoods such as College Park, Capitol Neighbors, Alta Woods, Colonial Heights and Washington Addition.
See the Ward 5 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 5 election: Four candidates challenging for the seat. Primary election is April 1
Ward 6
Lashia Brown-Thomas is the next Ward 6 councilwoman after defeating Democratic candidate Emon Thompson in the April 22 runoff. She is also running unopposed in the general election and therefore has won the council seat.
Brown-Thomas replaces incumbent Banks, who has been representing Ward 6 since 2017. He is not running for reelection this year. Banks is under indictment in the Jackson bribery scandal.
Brown-Thomas did not file a campaign finance report.
Ward 6 makes up South Jackson, including neighborhoods such as Appleridge, Briarcliff, Brookwood Estates, Pecan Acres and Windsor Forest. The ward also includes the Neighborhood Association of South Jackson.
See the Ward 6 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 6 election: 9 Democratic candidates vying for the Ward 6 seat. Primary election is April 1
Ward 7
Democratic candidate Kevin Parkinson, Republican Taylor Turcotte and independent Ron Aldridge are all vying for the Ward 7 seat currently held by Council President Virgi Lindsay. In January, Lindsay announced she would not seek reelection.
Parkinson defeated Democratic challenger Quint Withers in the Democratic runoff while Turcotte did not have any challengers in the Republican primaries. Aldridge advances straight to the general election as independents do not hold primaries.
Turcotte did not submit a campaign finance report.
Parkinson’s report shows he has raised $46,417.65, while spending just over $44,800. Aldridge’s report shows he has raised $14,903 while spending $14,360. Aldridge has $542.26 on hand, according to the report.
In the period between April 15 and May 27, Parkinson’s report shows he raised just over $5,700 and spent just over $9,900, leaving him some -$4,200 in the red.
Ward 7 encompasses the eastern portion of Jackson, starting as far south as Bounds Road and as far north as Meadowbrook Road. It includes neighborhoods such as Fondren, LOHO, Belhaven Heights, Belhaven and Midtown. The ward also encompasses Downtown Jackson and the Farish Street Historic District.
See the Ward 7 candidate questionnaire: Jackson City Council Ward 7 election: Five Democrats, one Republican and one Independent. Primary election set for April 1
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Who will lead Jackson, MS, next? City Council race heads to June 3
