Jimmie Smith (Mississippi politician)
Jimmie Smith | |
|---|---|
| Mayor of Meridian, Mississippi | |
| In office July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Percy Bland |
| Succeeded by | Percy Bland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residence | Meridian, Mississippi |
Jimmie Smith is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party served as the mayor of Meridian, Mississippi from 2021 to 2025. Previously, he served 20 years on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.[1]
Early life
Smith was born in Chicago. As a teenager, he moved to Meridian.[1]
Career
Shortly after his arrival in Meridian, Smith worked in area hospitals. Later, he joined the Meridian Police Department where he worked in various divisions including the SWAT Team.[1]
Smith served for 20 years on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors.[1]
Mayor of Meridian
In 2005, while still serving on the Board of Supervisors, Smith was the Democratic nominee for mayor.[1] He lost to the incumbent John Robert Smith in the general election by only 104 votes.[2]
Sixteen years later, Jimmie Smith faced off against Mayor Percy Bland in the Democratic primary. After, beating Bland in the April 2021 run-off, he faced city council member Weston Lindemann, an independent, and Republican Robert Ray in the general election.[1] In June 2021, Smith won that race decisively with over 60 percent of the vote.[2]
In the April 2025 primary, however, Smith would again face Bland in his bid for a second term as mayor of Meridian. This time around, however, Bland managed to defeat Smith after securing 67% of the primary vote.[3][4]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Snabes, Anne (June 9, 2021). "Jimmie Smith wins mayor's race in Meridian". The Meridian Star. Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
- ^ a b Williams, Tom (9 June 2021). "Jimmie Smith is Meridian's projected Mayor-Elect". WTOK-TV. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
Mayor-Elect Smith served on the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors for 20 years. Smith previously ran for mayor of Meridian in 2005, but lost by 104 votes to John Robert Smith.
- ^ MacLeod, Ross (April 2, 2025). "Percy Bland wins Democratic Primary for Meridian's Mayoral race". WTOK. Retrieved April 22, 2025.
- ^ Howard, Thomas (April 2, 2025). "Bland wins mayoral primary, Ward 3 heads to runoff". Meridian Star. Retrieved April 2, 2025.