Derek Dobies

I'm honored to have the endorsement of former Fifth Ward Councilwoman Kelsey Heck Wood.

Kelsey and I worked side-by-side to tackle one of Jackson's toughest challenges: violent crime. Together, we helped create our group violence intervention programming, bringing community partners, outreach workers, and law enforcement together to interrupt cycles of violence before they escalated.

The results spoke for themselves. During my tenure as mayor, violent crime dropped by 27.5%.

Since I left office, however, violent crime has increased by 18.5%. That's a reminder that public safety requires constant attention, sustained investment, and leaders willing to work together.

Today, as a trustee with Jackson Public Schools, I'm continuing that work. We're partnering with the City of Jackson on another grant to expand community violence intervention efforts into our schools, helping connect young people with the support and resources they need before violence occurs.

I strongly support gun violence intervention initiatives because we know that reducing violence takes more than one strategy. It takes collaboration, innovation, and a willingness to bring everyone to the table with targeted solutions.

Kelsey exemplified that approach during her time on City Council. We didn't always approach every issue the same way, but we shared a commitment to finding creative, evidence-based solutions that made our neighborhoods safer.

That's the kind of leadership I'll bring back to City Hall: working collaboratively with councilmembers, community organizations, schools, law enforcement, and residents to reduce crime, strengthen neighborhoods, and build a safer Jackson for everyone.

Thank you, Kelsey, for your endorsement and for your partnership in making Jackson a stronger community.

For the first time since 1950, Jackson's population is growing.

That didn't happen by accident.

As City Manager Jonathan Greene noted in MLive, the growth we're seeing today is the result of work that began more than a decade ago. During my time on City Council and as Mayor, we made a conscious decision to stop managing decline and start investing in growth.

We revitalized downtown, supported hundreds of new housing units, attracted more than $100 million in investment, improved parks and public spaces, tackled blight, modernized infrastructure, and worked to make Jackson a place where people wanted to live, work, and raise a family.

For years, some questioned those investments. Some said we were moving too fast. Others said the vision was too ambitious. Today, the numbers tell a different story.

Population growth is one of the clearest indicators of a city's health. More residents mean more customers for local businesses, a stronger tax base to repair roads and infrastructure, greater housing demand, and more opportunities for everyone who calls Jackson home.

But one year of growth isn't enough. The challenge now is making sure this isn't a blip, but the beginning of a long-term trend.

That's exactly why I'm running for Mayor.

We need leadership that understands how we got here, what worked, and what comes next. The progress Jackson is experiencing today was built on years of planning, investment, and partnership. Now is not the time to turn back. It's time to build on that momentum.

The work we started is paying off. Let's keep moving Jackson forward.

Help us win: derekdobies.com/volunteer

A significant 206: Jackson’s population grows for the first time since 1950 The city’s population has steadily fallen from about 51,000 in 1950.reached 31,022 residents in 2025, an increase of 206 people from 2024.

The primary is coming! The primary is coming!

In honor of America's 250th birthday, do your civic duty and vote Derek Dobies for Mayor of Jackson on or before August 4th!