On June 3, the city of Jackson will hold elections for mayor and city council members.
I get excited every time I drive down Lakeland Drive to the fire station to cast my vote. I usually see several neighbors and friends. I always put the “I Voted” sticker on my shirt.
Local elections are part of the fabric of local communities. Local newspapers have been a part of that fabric as well, reporting on issues and candidates for more than 150 years. It’s been exciting and satisfying to be part of that process for more than 40 years of my publishing career.
The first elections in human history date back to the Greek city of Sparta in the 7th century BC. Democracy was not widespread until the 18th century. Most social philosophers were skeptical of democracy, especially given the low education level of the populace. What democracy that existed was limited to the elites.
Democracy exists today in the United States mainly as representative democracy rather than direct democracy. The people elect a representative and then the representative votes for the people. This is the type of election we will have June 3 for the Jackson city council.
Increasingly, we are seeing more and more direct democracy where citizens vote on laws directly. Public “initiatives and referendums” have ushered in new laws in a variety of states around our nation.
Mississippi has taken a backward step in this regard. We had an initiative and referendum law for decades, but the state supreme court ruled it obsolete because our number of Congressional districts changed from five to four, making it impossible to get petitions from all five Congressional districts.
Since then our state legislature has failed to fix the technicality and introduce a new, improved initiative and referendum law. No direct democracy in Mississippi any more.
Indeed, voting in the United States as a free citizen is a blessing. It is a visible statement of freedom and democracy, paid for with the blood of brave young soldiers. There was no democracy in Nazi Germany or the Japanese Empire. This is what the Ukrainians are fighting for and we should stand by their side.
The primaries involved dozens of candidates from all walks of life. It was inspiring to see. Anybody could qualify. There were no barriers to entry.
As a result of the vote, Jackson’s incumbent mayor was defeated. The people voted the mayor out of office as Jacksonians have done numerous times before. People pay attention. They care. They study the candidates. They form opinions. They show up to vote. It matters.
The rise of social media and cheap, easy communication has spurred participation in local elections. It’s not hard to create a web page or, at a minimum, a Facebook or Instagram page. It’s not expensive to advertise in the Northside Sun, as several candidates have done.
And still, there’s the tried and true lynchpin of local elections: going door to door and meeting the voters.
I was out of town at a wedding when long-time Belhaven resident and Ward 7 candidate Ron Aldridge came by my house at 1447 Rebel Drive in Loho.
Loho used to be called Leftover, presumably because it was to the left of Eastover while looking at a map. And the homes were not quite as nice as Eastover. Loho has about 400 homes bounded by Meadowbrook Road to the north, I-55 to the west, Eastover Drive to the south and Ridgewood Road to the east.
My son John was happy to talk Aldrige’s ear off for 30 minutes or so. John wanted to run for mayor but waited too late and fell several signatures short of qualifying. (Much to my relief)
The picture of John giving Ron a piece of his mind about city government while Ron’s out campaigning door to door makes me think of a beautiful oil painting by Norman Rockwell. Pure Americana.
Aldridge, an Independent, has a ton of qualifications. He’s a former state legislator. He has served on dozens of community boards. Currently he is a three-year chairman of the Fondren Business Improvement District. He has worked in workforce training for many years.
His main opponent, a Democrat, is the much younger Kevin Parkinson, a former Ward 7 high school principal. Parkinson is smart and energetic. This will be a good contest.
Parkinson visited my Rotary Club of North Jackson as a guest of Charles Lindsay, husband of outgoing Ward 7 councilwoman Virgi Lindsay, both of whom I know and respect. Aldridge came as a guest of Pete Perry, who knows as much about Jackson politics as anybody I know. I respect Perry’s insight and judgement. This is really about older and experienced versus younger and energetic.
In Ward 1, incumbent Ashby Foote is running as an Independent for the first time. In the past he ran as a Republican. Foote really helped out Jackson by doing this, freeing up Northside voters to oust Lumumba by voting in the Democratic primary. It worked.
Ashby is a personal friend so I can wholeheartedly endorse him. He has been a voice of reason on the council, serving as its president for many years. He has done a remarkable job of working well with diverse council members, learning the details about how the city works and moving the city in the right direction.
Ashby has been instrumental in feeding important stories to me and the Northside Sun. I can’t imagine where we would be without him on the council for the last 11 years.
Ashby’s going to have some competition both from Democrat Jasmine Barnes and Independent Grace Greene, both of whom have actively campaigned.
Barnes, being the Democratic nominee in a highly Democratic ward, has to be given due consideration. She is a Certified Public Accountant with a decade of audit experience.
Greene, an independent and plugged into the Northside as a wife, mother of four, active and lifelong Jackson resident. She and her husband Mason live in Heatherwood. Mason runs a family restaurant supply business. She’s run an aggressive campaign and is sure to get a substantial number of votes. She’s been a middle school teacher, a Belhaven adjunct professor, a childbirth class instructor and an online reseller.
As I mentioned, Ashby’s a personal friend who I know and trust, so he’s got my vote. But even so, I am happy to see healthy competition from three excellent candidates. This bodes well for our city and democracy.
