Watch: Our exclusive interview with mayoral candidate John Horhn
The wide-ranging interview covered youth opportunities, infrastructure, education, crime, jobs and lots more.
JYN Staff Report
On April 17, the Jackson Youth Newsroom sat down with mayoral candidate John Horhn to learn about his plans if he becomes mayor — particularly when it comes to issues affecting young people. We asked questions on the five major themes that emerged from our survey of 106 Jackson public high school students.
“We’re going to be drinking water out of a fire hose trying to save this city,” Horhn told us in the wide-ranging interview that lasted more than 40 minutes.
Here are 11 standout moments:
He wants to revive a youth jobs program akin to the Neighborhood Youth Corps (established in 1964 as part of the War on Poverty), which he participated in when he was in high school and credits as a formative experience.
He committed to hiring a youth liaison at City Hall and reviving the mayor’s youth council. “Young people have to have a voice,” he said.
After a recent visit to Battlefield Park, he said the conditions were “horrible enough to make you want to cry.” He plans to revitalize all city parks, including building a skate park and a regional sportsplex to attract tournaments and visitors.
He aims to regain local control of Jackson’s water and sewer system—currently overseen by a third-party administrator—and says reversing population decline is key to long-term infrastructure fixes.
He expects to spend significant time in Washington, D.C. securing federal resources. “Jackson needs money,” he said.
He supports a teen curfew but believes parents—not police—should be the ones to enforce it.
To reduce “brain drain,” he wants more investment in tech education centers (like the Bean Path) and workforce training for high-demand jobs.
He criticized JPS for an overemphasis on testing and wants to expand shop classes and civics education.
He was shocked to hear that some schools still lack reliable heating and cooling. “That should have been addressed during the COVID period when we got all that money in,” he said. “Where the money went, I couldn’t tell you.”
He said the recent JPS school closures should not have happened before the city had a plan for the future use of those buildings. “The copper thieves are getting in those buildings… (and) dismantling them as fast as they can,” he said. He wants to convert the vacant school buildings into housing, including for the homeless, and into spaces for workforce training.
He supports having a student representative on the school board in a non-voting role.
Horhn went on to defeat incumbent Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba in the April 22 Democratic primary runoff, winning roughly 75% of the vote. He is widely considered the favorite in the June 3 general election.
Watch the full interview above to hear Horhn’s answers in his own words. The video includes complete captions and on-screen fact checks.
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