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 and Vice-Chairman of Veterans and Military Affairs. His other committees include Medicaid, Finance, Energy, Tourism, 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.

One of my proudest achievements is writing the original legislation to bring the nation’s first and only civil rights museum to Jackson. Through collaborative efforts, we were able to 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.

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PUBLIC SERVICE & FAMILY

Prior to his election as Mississippi State Senator, John’s history of public service includes 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 also 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 has been married to the former Lydia Gail Cole Horhn for 39 years and they are the proud parents of two children, Charla Jade and John Siraj.

"John has the ability to practically do anything. He has the ability to cross racial, professional, and economic lines, which is a good trait.” - Charlie Horhn, Father of John Horhn, Jackson Advocate

THE HORHN LEGACY

The Horhn legacy of leadership starts with John’s father, Charlie Horhn. Charlie served for 20 years in the public sector including time at the Board of Directors Community Improvement Corporation for WLBT Television Station. He also served on the State Council for Vocational Education, the Board of Directors, Hinds County Human Resources Agency, the United Way, and the Hinds County Democratic Executive Committee.

At his retirement in 2013, Charlie was recognized by the United States House of Representatives as “one of America's most dedicated public servants and one of Mississippi's strongest advocates.” Growing up with a father invested in public service, John learned how to be a strong leader. He remarks, “With my dad, I always hear his voice in my head when it comes to executing something. Sometimes you don't get a chance to be a deep thinker, which he mentioned is a gift of mine. Sometimes you have to just make a decision, make the best decision that you can, and get it done."

"My accomplishments come from being a great networker, doing my homework, having follow-up ability, and bringing people together." — Senator John Horhn

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.