MEET JOHN HORHN
John Horhn has been a Mississippi State Senator for 32 years, where he is a champion for small business development and the City of Jackson. He serves parts of Hinds and Madison Counties in District 26. Senator Horhn is Chairman of the Housing Committee in the Senate, vice-chairman of Veterans and Military Affairs, and his other committees include Medicaid, Finance, Energy, Tourism, and Business and Financial Institutions, and Labor. For 12 years, he chaired the Senate Economic Development Committee. John has sponsored and/or led the passage of bills authorizing more than $1 billion in projects specifically to support the City of Jackson, including public facilities, hotels, museums, and water/sewer improvements.
Prior to his election, his public service included leading as program manager at the Mississippi Art Commission, director of the Mississippi Film Office, director of the Mississippi Tourism Office, and executive director of the Governor’s Office of Federal/State Programs. In his private life, Senator Horhn works as a business development consultant in healthcare, housing, engineering, and small business development. An accomplished actor and storyteller, John is a member of the Screen Actors’ Guild, and has appeared in numerous TV and film projects. He is married to the former Lydia Gail Cole, and they are the proud parents of two children.
Experience
State Senator
(32 years, 1993-2024) - Helped pass legislation generating over $1 billion dollars in funding and resources for Jackson and Central Mississippi.
State Tourism Director
(1989-1992) - Helped bring in more tourism in the state establishing Mississippi culture, including music, food, arts, and history, as a major draw.
Governor's Office Federal State Programs Director
(1988-1989) - Managed a $150M budget for all aspects of government social services, housing, infrastructure, jobs, criminal justice planning, transportation, energy.
State Film Commissioner
(1985-1988) - Brought in over $100M of film projects into Mississippi including Mississippi Burning, Mississippi Masala, North and South, Books 1 & 2 mini-series.
Mississippi Arts Commission - Program Manager
(1981-1985) - Providing funding to multicultural projects throughout Mississippi, including Farish Street Festival, Delta Blues Festival, and Choctaw Indian Fair.
Mississippi Cultural Arts Coalition - Executive Director
(1980-1981) - Presented literary, visual, and performing arts programming depicting Mississippi’s African-American heritage.
Job Developer - A. Philip Randolph Institute
(1978-1980) - Placed hard-to-serve youth ages 16-21 into jobs, college, skill-training, and the military.
Key Projects
1% Sales Tax for Infrastructure
(2014-2034) - Authored legislation to generate $14M per year for city infrastructure or a total of $270-$300M through 2034.
Two Mississippi Museums Project
(2001-2017) - Helped secure $92M in state funding and raise $25M in the private sector to build and support the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and the Museum of Mississippi History. The project boasts the only state-supported civil rights museum in the United States.
JSU Metro Parkway Project
(1995- 2005) - Authored legislation to secure $20M to build the Dr. Robert Smith Parkway connecting West Jackson and Jackson State University to Downtown.
Jackson Convention Center Project
(1995-2008) - Helped secure $85M to build the Jackson Convention Center and Telcom Center.
Westin Hotel Jackson
(2012-2017) - Led the effort to acquire $20 million in funding to construct the Westin Hotel in Downtown Jackson.
Affordable Housing Efforts
(2019-2024) - Helped lead the development of over 500 affordable housing units in Jackson ($110 million investment); serve on the Legislative Oversight Committee for Mississippi Home Corporation.
