Harvey Johnson Jr.
Harvey Johnson Jr. | |
---|---|
Speaking at a campaign rally at Belhaven Heights Park in Jackson, 2009 | |
Mayor of Jackson, Mississippi | |
In office July 6, 2009 – July 1, 2013 | |
Preceded by | Leslie B. McLemore (Interim) |
Succeeded by | Chokwe Lumumba |
In office July 7, 1997 – July 4, 2005 | |
Preceded by | J. Kane Ditto |
Succeeded by | Frank Melton |
Personal details | |
Born | (1946-12-21) December 21, 1946 (age 77) Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Kathy Ezell |
Website | Mayor's Office |
Harvey Johnson Jr. (born December 21, 1946),[1][2] 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.
He ran again in 2009 and was elected. When he ran for what would have been his fourth term, he was defeated in the Democratic primary in July 2013 by challengers Chokwe Lumumba, who was elected as mayor, and Jonathan Lee.
Biography
Harvey Johnson Jr. was born in Vicksburg, Mississippi, and attended the Vicksburg public schools, graduating from Rosa A. Temple High School. He received a bachelor's degree in political science from Tennessee State University and a master's degree in political science from the University of Cincinnati.[3]
His professional career includes the founding of the Mississippi Institute of Small Towns, a non-profit agency developed to assist small economically depressed towns with minority leadership with housing, community development and infrastructure needs. In 1990 Governor Ray Mabus appointed the subject to a six-year term on the state tax commission, which included the oversight of the newly established gaming industry.[4]
In 1993, Johnson ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Jackson, placing third in the Democratic primary behind two white candidates, incumbent mayor J. Kane Ditto and former mayor Dale Danks. But in 1997, Johnson defeated Ditto in the Democratic primary, and later defeated Republican opponent Charlotte Reeves in the general election, becoming Jackson's first African-American mayor.
Supporters credited Johnson with overseeing a dramatic renaissance in the city, leading the charge for several projects to help revive a decaying downtown area, including the revitalization of the Farish Street Neighborhood Historic District and passage of a controversial bond issue to build a convention center. Critics charged that he was an unresponsive leader who was not appropriately concerned with the city's large crime problem, neglected the maintenance of streets, and did little to curb the exodus of Jackson's upper- and middle-class residents to places outside the city limits.
During his reelection bid in 2001, Johnson faced off against Republican challenger, C. Daryl Neely, a city councilman. It was the first time in the city's history that two African-American mayoral candidates faced each other in the general election. Johnson soundly defeated Neely with 61% of the vote.[2]
In 2005, Johnson was challenged in the Democratic primary by Frank Melton, a controversial TV station manager; the challenger promised to solve the city's crime problem in 90 days while giving few specific crime plans, making crime the central focus of the election. Critics charged that Johnson said crime was only a "perception." But he had complained about the "perception of hopelessness" which he said the media's focus on crime engendered. The phrase "perception of crime," while inaccurate, was used widely by opponents and critics of the incumbent mayor. Melton defeated the incumbent by 63 percent of the vote in the Democratic Primary. Melton easily defeated Republican challenger Rick Whitlow in the general election and succeeded Johnson as mayor of Jackson.
Johnson is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He is an alum of National Urban Fellows, class of 1976. Johnson is also a deacon at the Hope Springs Missionary Baptist Church of Jackson, Mississippi.
In early 2009, Johnson again ran for Mayor of Jackson. On Tuesday, May 5, 2009, he led a crowded field of ten candidates in the Democratic primary. Gaining 28% of the vote, Johnson was forced into a runoff with City Councilman Marshand Crisler, who had finished a close second with 27% of the vote.[5] In the runoff two weeks later, Johnson defeated Crisler, winning in five of the seven wards, despite being outspent four to one.[5][6] In a majority-black city that votes heavily Democratic, Johnson handily defeated Republican challenger George Lambus and four independent candidates in the June 2nd general election.[1][5] Johnson's election has made him become the city's first three-term mayor since Dale Danks.[5]
Running for re-election in the Democratic primary on May 7, 2013, the veteran mayor was defeated by Chokwe Lumumba, Ward Two Councilman, and Jonathan Lee, former Chamber of Commerce president, in every city ward.[7] Lumumba was elected but died in office in 2014.
External links
- Harvey Johnson for Mayor
References
- ^ a b Agnew, Ronnie (2009-05-24). "The new Harvey Johnson is needed". The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS). Retrieved 2009-05-25. [dead link]
- ^ a b "1st Black Mayor Of Jackson, MS, Wins 2nd Term". Jet at Findarticles.com. 2005-06-25. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ "Biography". Harvey Johnson for Mayor. January 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-09-23. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ Mayer, Gregg (15 February 2001). "Johnson to seek second term as Mayor". Clarion Ledger (Jackson).
- ^ a b c d Goldstein, Blair (2009-05-20). "'Another chance' for ex-Jackson mayor". The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS). Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ Stringfellow, Eric (2009-05-25). "Johnson has been charged to get city 'back on track'". The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, MS). Retrieved 2009-05-25. [dead link]
- ^ Eason, Brian (May 9, 2013) "Race no longer clear-cut issue in Jackson mayoral politics", Clarion Ledger. (Jackson).
Political offices | ||
---|---|---|
Preceded by | Mayor of Jackson, MS 1997–2005 | Succeeded by |
Preceded by Leslie B. McLemore Interim | Mayor of Jackson, MS 2009–2013 | Succeeded by |
- v
- t
- e
- Thomas H. Dickson 1834
- S.P. Baley 1835
- Thomas H. Dickson 1836
- S.P. Baley 1836
- John P. Oldham 1837–1838
- John P. Oldham 1839
- H.R. McDonald 1840
- John P. Oldham 1840–1841
- James H. Boyd 1842–1843
- John P. Oldham 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 1858
- W. A. Purdom 1859
- Richard C. Kerr 1860–1861
- Charles Henry Manship 1862–1863
- D. N. Barrows 1864–1867
- Thomas H. Norton 1868
- Lt. Col. James Biddle 1868
- James P. Sesseons 1868–1869
- Rhesa Hatcher 1869
- Lt. Col. Joseph G. Crane 1869
- Captain F.A. Field 1869
- A. Way Kelly 1869
- E. W. Cabiniss 1869–1870
- Oliver Clifton 1870–1871
- Rhesa Hatcher 1871–1872
- Marion Smith 1872–1874
- John McGill 1874–1888
- William Henry 1888–1893
- L. F. Chiles 1893–1895
- Oliver Clifton 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 1905 (died before taking office)
- Ramsey Wharton 1905–1908 (died in office)
- A. C. Crowder 1909–1913
- S. J. Taylor 1913–1917
- Walter A. Scott 1917–1945
- Leland S. 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
- Frank Melton 2005–2009 (died in office)
- Leslie B. McLemore 2009 (interim mayor)
- Harvey Johnson Jr. 2009–2013
- Chokwe Lumumba 2013–2014 (died in office)
- Charles Tillman 2014
- Tony Yarber 2014–2017
- Chokwe Antar Lumumba 2017–present