By Cynthia Milton,
Contributing Writer,
There was a tangible feeling of anticipation and excitement in the air, at the Plant Venue, a warehouse turned event center off Baily Avenue in Jackson, where supporters of John Horhn gathered after election polls closed. The main room of the venue was packed, where they ate, drank, and listened to a DJ playing R&B and neo soul favorites, while waiting for their choice for Mayor of Jackson to arrive.
Approximately two hours later, Horhn made quite the arrival with his wife, Lydia, and other family members close by his side, as well as close friends and the booming sounds of the live Southern Comfort Jazz band following him. It was like a rock star atmosphere with well-wishers crowded in an effort to give hugs, congratulations, and snap photos with Jackson’s new top leader elect.
Among those in the crowd was Terrance Richardson, a local housing developer and native Jacksonian, who moved away and has now returned home, hoping to make a difference. “Jackson has gone down from the city where I grew up, which is one the reasons I moved back to see if we can usher in a new day,” stated Richardson. He further stated that he is concerned about the deterioration of his hometown and believes Horhn has the political savvy to move Jackson forward.
Richardson went on to say, “I think one of the great disadvantages for the city has been having a leader that did not know how to work the mechanisms of government in the state of Mississippi. I think that’s particularly important just from how the state is structured and how federal dollars are dispensed to the governor, then dispensed to the cities. So, if you don’t understand how that works, and you don’t have good working relationships with all those tiers of government it is going to be very difficult to get funds to do things for your city. I think Horhn been in government long enough to understand, and he has a history of working across the aisle to get things done.”
Long time Jackson resident and attorney, Peyton Prospere also has high hopes for Horhn’s leadership. He stated, “I’ve been in the same house since 1979 in Belhaven and in those nearly 46 years I’ve seen a lot of changes.” Many of those changes he deems not good and is hopeful Horhn can bring about changes for the better, stating, “He’s a bright pragmatic solution seeker. He works well with a variety of folks and that’s necessary for any community to succeed.”
Prospere echoes Richardson’s concerns about the need for a better working relationship with state leaders by saying, “I think he will be able to establish a strong relationship with the legislature that was not enjoyed in recent years. It’s the only state capitol we have, and the state has a vested interest in its success.”
Horhn has more than three decades of public service under his belt serving Jackson as one of its Senator’s in the Mississippi legislature. While some in the crowd chose to support him because of his record, others support him because of what they have experienced in personal relationships with the mayor elect. Like 30-year-old Ebony Moore, who is an esthetician, local business owner and long-time friend to Horn’s daughter. For years she has had the opportunity to see him up close and personal as a father and she likes what she sees.
Moore stated, “ I know him as a father, and I feel like if he can be a great father he can be a great leader in all aspects; and I feel like it’s time for Jackson to have a change. We need something new, something refreshing, and something genuine.”
When Horhn finally made it through the crowd to take the stage, his 91-year-old Father, who was in attendance was one of the first people he thanked along with his wife, other family members, volunteers, supporters, and friends. He says the campaign at times felt like the little engine that could. He now feels like the engine that can and is ready to get to work for Jackson.
Horhn stated, “We’ve got to restore the city’s accountability and trust worthiness with the county, state, federal government, and the business community, and once again get people to the point where they expect their basic services to be met. Finally, we must put together a comprehensive plan which involves the entire city’s participation and then go work that plan.”
During his acceptance speech Horhn gave a big thanks to his wife Lydia, noting there would have been no candidacy had she not said yes. The long-time political wife says her husband will work hard for cohesion and she hopes citizens will get on board. She stated, “I think that’s especially important for us. We all want to feel a part of the success of Jackson, and I know he is going to use every tool in the toolbox to bring improvement to Jackson.”
Horhn says the road to moving Jackson forward must have all the community on the journey. He called on his former opponents to work with and join him on the path to move Mississippi’s capitol city in a new direction.
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