OCEAN SPRINGS, MS – With the city’s June 3rd General Election approaching, most Ocean Springs Board of Aldermen races are already settled following the April 1st Republican primary. But one key contest remains on the ballot — and it could be a referendum on a deeply unpopular chapter of city leadership.
In Ward 5, incumbent Rob Blackman faces Independent challenger James Lewis Jr. Ordinarily, an independent wouldn’t stand much of a chance against a sitting Republican in Ocean Springs. But this year’s political landscape is anything but ordinary.
The Fall of a Political Machine
The April 1st primary dealt a decisive blow to the entrenched power structure at City Hall. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the “rubber-stamp board” that often aligned itself with Mayor Kenny Holloway and City Attorney Robert Wilkinson. Aldermen Rickey Authement (Ward 2), Mike Impey (Ward 6), and Jennifer Burgess (Ward 1) all lost their seats. Alderman-at-Large Bobby Cox stepped up to challenge the incumbent Mayor Holloway and won that race in a landslide.
The message was clear: Voters were done with the dishonesty, the lack of transparency, and the dismissive attitude toward residents who dared to speak out.
Rob Blackman, who now faces Lewis in the general election, was very much part of that cautionary tale.
Attacking Critics, Silencing Speech
One of the most jarring examples of Blackman’s conduct came last summer, when the city attempted to pave a section of land near Front Beach for a parking lot. Resident Joe Jewell intervened, citing a letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that declared the land off-limits for such use under federal law. Rather than acknowledging the serious concern, Blackman fired off an email smearing Jewell as a “CAVE man” — short for “Citizens Against Virtually Everything” — and accused him of harboring “hate in [his] heart.”
Blackman then challenged Jewell to “man up” and confront the board in person. Jewell did just that, attending the next Board of Aldermen meeting. But instead of engaging in public dialogue, Blackman demanded an apology and later walked out of future meetings when Jewell used the public comment period to speak — an open display of contempt for the First Amendment.
These kinds of actions create what is referred to as a “chilling effect” — discouraging other residents from speaking out or criticizing government officials. It’s precisely the type of behavior the Founding Fathers warned against.
Truth, or the Lack of It
Blackman has also been caught misrepresenting key events to the public. After the abrupt closure of the Hanshaw Road Bridge, he told the Sun Herald that “the state has not explained why the bridge had to close.” That turned out to be false.
Documents obtained through a public records request revealed that the Mississippi Office of State Aid Road Construction had sent a February 27, 2025, letter to the city ordering the bridge closed within 24 hours due to structural issues. Attached to the letter was a detailed “Critical Findings Report.” The city had this information prior to the closure but failed to share it with the public — and Blackman falsely implied they were left in the dark.
No Vote, No Accountability
When it came time to vote on major decisions, Blackman often chose silence. He abstained from voting on the annexation plan that forced residents of unincorporated Jackson County into Ocean Springs — directly affecting his own ward. He also abstained from a May 6th vote that sought to place department heads under civil service protections, a move critics say was designed to block the incoming mayor from making key leadership changes at City Hall.
By sitting out these decisions, Blackman shielded himself from political fallout while allowing controversial measures to advance — a tactic that voters have grown tired of.
From Fake Protest Page to Campaign Tool
In June 2024, Blackman created a Facebook page titled SOSfromSOS, short for “Save Ocean Springs from SaveOS.” He was also seen using the hashtag #sosfromsos on social media posts.
The target? A community watchdog group known as SaveOS.org, which has thousands of followers and is known for using public records to expose city actions and promote transparency. The board has made no secret of its disdain for the group. Blackman’s page title made that contempt explicit.
Then, in January 2025 — just months before the election — Blackman quietly rebranded the page, changing its name to Alderman Robert Blackman and using it for his re-election campaign. The next day, he posted: “I’ve just reached 200 followers! Thank you for continuing support. I could never have made it without each one of you.”
What he didn’t say is that the bulk of those followers came from his protest page targeting the SaveOS group. Blackman attempted to convert city-wide establishment supporters into apparent support from his ward, masking the truth behind a manipulated follower count.
A Different Kind of Election
James Lewis Jr., the independent challenger, enters this race at a time when Ocean Springs is demanding change. He’s no longer just a long-shot candidate. He’s a serious contender in a city where the political winds have shifted, and where being part of the old guard may now be the biggest liability a candidate can have.
While most seats were decided in the Primary Election, the seat Blackman currently holds is still up for grabs – and it’s not the only one. Republican Steve Tillis faces Independent Greg Gipson in a race for Ward 1 Alderman and Republican Matthew Hinton is up against Independent Oren Zweig for Alderman at Large.
Polls open at 7am on June 3rd.
