Summary
Current Position: US Representative of IL District 1 since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.
Upcoming Election:
Jonathan Luther Jackson is an American businessman and activist who was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.
Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name
OnAir Post: Jonathan Jackson IL-01
News
About
Source: Government
Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson represents Illinois’ First Congressional District. Born to civil rights leaders Rev. Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline Jackson, the fight for underrepresented people runs in Congressman Jackson’s blood. He has long been an advocate for marginalized communities using his platform to fight for equity and civil rights.
Congressman Jackson’s commitment to social justice and equality has been the driving force behind his activism. As the national spokesman for the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Congressman Jackson raised awareness about innocence and juvenile justice issues. He was heavily involved in the Chicago Police Department’s false confessions cases, such as those of Darrell Cannon, Oscar Walden, and Johnnie Lee Savory. He played a role in several high-profile human rights and social justice cases, including negotiations with Syrian President Hafez-Al-Assad for the release of captured American Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman and with Fidel Castro for the release of 22 Americans held in Cuba.
Congressman Jackson values public education and fervently supports expanding opportunities to families regardless of income. In Chicago, he fought against the closure of Chicago Public Schools where he led public hearings and provided civic education training to preserve community memory and prevent closures and turnarounds by private companies. His efforts helped Guggenheim Elementary School come off the closure list in 2010 and saved other schools from the same fate.
Congressman Jackson grew up in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Business. Jackson has launched several telecom, distribution, and construction businesses. He has also taught finance and entrepreneurship at Chicago City Colleges and was a business professor at Chicago State University.
Congressman Jackson now brings his activism to Congress. He is committed to promoting policies that advance equality and justice, improving access to quality education and healthcare, and protecting the environment. He proudly serves on the House Committee on Agriculture and on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is dedicated to working with his colleagues to pass meaningful legislation that will benefit the people of IL-01 and the nation as a whole.
Personal
Full Name: Jonathan L. Jackson
Gender: Male
Birth Place: Chicago, IL
Source: Vote Smart
Education
MBA, Business, Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management, 1989-1991
Bachelor’s, Business, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, 1987-1988
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 1, 2023-present
Candidate, United States House of Representatives, Illinois, District 1, 2022, 2024
Professional Experience
National Spokesperson, Rainbow PUSH Coalition, 2004-present
Professor of Business, Chicago State University, 2013-2015
Professor, City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College, 2011-2013
Investor, River North Sales + Service, 1998-2011
Investment Banker, Drexel Burnham Lambert, 1988-1989
Offices
Washington DC Office
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515-1301Phone: (202) 225-4372
Fax: (202) 226-0333
Chicago District Office
11750 S. Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60643-4732Phone: (773) 779-2400
Fax: (773) 779-2401
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Election Results
To learn more, go to this wikipedia section in this post.
Finances
Source: Vote Smart
Committees
- House Committee on Foreign Affairs
- The House Committee on Foreign Affairs is responsible for overseeing and legislating on matters related to international relations, global diplomacy, and U.S. foreign policy. Congressman Jackson’s service on this committee allows him to engage in crucial discussions that shape our nation’s interactions with other countries.
- Subcommittee on Africa
- As a member of the Subcommittee on Africa, Congressman Jackson focuses on promoting strong bilateral relationships between the United States and African nations, addressing human rights, and fostering economic development and security in the region.
- House Committee on Agriculture
- The House Committee on Agriculture oversees and legislates on matters related to agriculture, rural development, and the nation’s food supply. Congressman Jackson’s role in this committee demonstrates his commitment to supporting farmers, ranchers, and rural communities.
- Subcommittee on Nutrition, Foreign Agriculture, and Horticulture
- In this subcommittee, Congressman Jackson works to ensure that nutritional assistance programs are efficient and effective, as well as advocating for robust agricultural trade and support for the horticulture industry.
- Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
- Congressman Jackson’s participation in this subcommittee allows him to address the needs of commodity markets, promote the responsible use of digital assets, and work towards the improvement of rural communities’ economic growth and infrastructure.
In addition to Congressman Jonathan Jackson’s committee assignments, he is also an active member of various caucuses within the United States House of Representatives. These caucuses allow him to collaborate with like-minded colleagues and work together on shared policy objectives that impact the lives of his constituents and the nation as a whole. Here are the caucuses Congressman Jackson is involved with, listed alphabetically:
- Black Maternal Mortality Caucus
- Launched by Congresswomen Alma Adams and Lauren Underwood, this caucus addresses the maternal mortality crisis in the United States and works to address racial disparities in pregnancy-related complications and infant mortality.
- Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)
- Established in 1971, the CBC works to empower African Americans and marginalized communities by focusing on reforming the criminal justice system, combatting voter suppression, expanding access to education, healthcare, and technology, and strengthening protections for workers.
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)
- Established to commemorate the centennial of the Equal Rights Amendment, the ERA Caucus focuses on establishing constitutional gender equality as a national priority and partnering with a diverse coalition of advocates, activists, scholars, organizers, and public figures.
- Congressional Heartland Caucus
- Launched by Congresswoman Debbie Dingell, the Congressional Heartland Caucus represents the views, values, and issues of the American Heartland, including manufacturing, labor, agriculture, racial equity, rural healthcare, trade, broadband, and infrastructure.
- Congressional Labor Caucus
- The Congressional Labor Caucus is committed to advancing policies that support workers and their families, promoting good jobs, protecting workers’ rights, and supporting economic opportunity.
- Congressional Progressive Caucus
- Comprising over 100 members of Congress, the Congressional Progressive Caucus champions progressive policy solutions such as comprehensive immigration reform, fair trade, universal healthcare, debt-free college, climate action, and a just foreign policy.
- Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC)
- With over 80 members, the SEEC is dedicated to advancing policies promoting clean energy, addressing climate change, and protecting the environment.
New Legislation
Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congressman Jackson.
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Wikipedia
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Illinois’s first congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, and continues southwest to Joliet.
From 2003 to early 2013 it extended into the city’s southwest suburbs until reaching the border of Will County, and covered 97.84 square miles (253.4 km2), making it one of the 40 smallest districts in the U.S. (although there are four smaller districts in Illinois). The district had a population that was 65% African American, the highest percentage of any congressional district in the nation, but with redistricting that percentage has now declined to 52%. It includes the home of former President Barack Obama.
The 1st is a majority-minority district, and has been since at least the 1920s. In 1929, it became the first district in the 20th century to send an African American to Congress when Republican Oscar Stanton De Priest was elected to represent the district. The 1st has been represented by an African American Member of Congress ever since, the longest ongoing stretch of black representation for any seat in the House of Representatives. It has been held by a Democrat since 1935 when Arthur Mitchell, the first African American Democrat elected to Congress, took the seat as part of the New Deal Coalition. In 1949, district representative William Dawson became the first African American to chair a congressional committee. Since redistricting by the state legislature after the 2010 census, it is 51.3% black, 40.6% white, and 9.8% Hispanic in population.
The district is currently represented by Jonathan Jackson who was elected to succeed longtime incumbent Bobby Rush in 2022.[3]
Wikipedia
Jonathan Luther Jackson (born January 7, 1966) is an American politician, businessman, and activist serving as the U.S. representative for Illinois’s 1st congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he was previously the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a financial analyst, and a partner in the Chicago-based beer distributorship River North Sales and Service.
Early life and education
Jackson was born in Chicago, to Jesse Jackson, a noted civil rights activist and Baptist minister, and Jacqueline Lavinia Jackson. His godfather was Martin Luther King Jr., from whom Jackson gets his middle name. Jackson has five siblings, Santita Jackson and former U.S. Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., his elders, and Yusef, Jacqueline Jackson, and Ashley, his younger siblings.[1]
Jackson attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School in Chicago, where he was a student-athlete. He attended his parents’ alma mater, North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, to study business where he obtained his bachelors degree.[2][3] He is also an MBA graduate of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.[4]
Civil and human rights activism
Born into a family steeped in human rights activism, Jackson has traveled the world as an aide de camp to his father.[5] He traveled to Syria in 1983, when his father negotiated with Syrian President Hafez al-Assad to release captured American pilot Robert Goodman.[6] He met Fidel Castro in 1984, when his father negotiated the release of 22 Americans being held in Cuba.[7] He was also with his father in August 2005, when he traveled to Venezuela to meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez.[8] This followed controversial remarks by televangelist Pat Robertson implying that Chávez should be assassinated. Jackson condemned Robertson’s remarks as immoral.[8]
In 2007, Jonathan Jackson took on the issues of innocence and juvenile justice as national spokesman for the RainbowPUSH Coalition.[9] He has highlighted the personal stories and continued trials of those who accused the Chicago Police Department of torturing them to obtain confessions that landed them in prison. They include Darrell Cannon,[10] who faced the death penalty for a 1983 drug-related murder. Cannon was released after accepting a January 2001 deal to abandon his torture claim in exchange for being released, according to the Northwestern Center on Wrongful Convictions. Jackson has also showcased the travails of Oscar Walden, who in 1952 became Illinois’s first exoneree. Walden was freed after being sentenced to 75 years for a rape he did not commit.[11]
Jackson has championed the cause of Johnnie Lee Savory,[12] a Peoria native convicted of stabbing to death his friends Connie Cooper and James Robinson in their Peoria home in 1977. After serving over 28 years in prison, Savory was released on parole on December 19, 2006. Jackson is among several notables who have petitioned the Illinois governor—first Rod Blagojevich, then Pat Quinn—to order DNA testing in Savory’s case to prove not only that did Savory not kill his friends, but also to pinpoint the person widely suspected of committing the crime.[13]
In 2008, Jackson turned his attention to the closures of Chicago Public Schools.[14] He has led several schools to public hearings and civic education training to thwart school closures and turnarounds by private companies in favor of investing in existing schools and keeping a community’s institutional memory intact—especially in highly mobile neighborhoods where large numbers of students are homeless or living on the economic margins.[15] In February 2010, he succeeded in helping Guggenheim Elementary School get off the closure list.[16] Guggenheim is in the Englewood community on the city’s South Side. Jackson, among others, made the case that forcing students to walk any further to school put them in harm’s way. They also made the case that Guggenheim’s test scores have steadily improved and it had a close-knit community with the momentum to achieve further gains. Previously, Jackson had persuaded school officials to abandon plans to close Holmes Elementary School, among others.[14]
Jackson’s view of outsourcing public education mirrors that of an emerging vocal group of educators like New York University’s Diane Ravitch[17] and activists who assert that over-reliance on test scores and privatizing of public schools through wholesale charters and outsourcing allows schools to cherry-pick their student bodies while siphoning resources from the most marginalized children. They consider programs like No Child Left Behind and charter schools as a divestment of public education.[18]
Professional career
Jackson started his career in 1988 at Drexel Burnham Lambert as an investment analyst for Michael Milken, an American financier and philanthropist, noted for his role in developing a market for high-yield bonds known as junk bonds. Jackson later worked as an analyst at Independence Bank, was a Shatkin Arbor runner at the Chicago Board of Trade, and developed real estate for East Lake Management in Chicago. He rejoined Milken at Knowledge Universe in the late 1990s and engages in investments in the wireless, real estate and distribution sectors.[4]
In 1998, Jackson, with his brother Yusef, became owner of a Chicago-based Anheuser-Busch Cos. distributorship – River North Sales and Service, LLC.[19] The deal was met with charges of skepticism and nepotism because Jackson’s father had previously organized a boycott of the brewery’s products in the early 1980s. The elder Jackson wanted the brewery to do more business in the African-American community.[20]
In 2009, Jackson lead a group of minority investors in a $250 million bid to take over ION Media Networks, the country’s largest chain of independent TV stations.[21] Partnered with Cyrus Capital Partners, a New York investment firm, Jackson argued that second-lien lenders are treated as second-class citizens.[22]
He has taught finance and entrepreneurship at City Colleges of Chicago[23] and is a business professor at Chicago State University.
On August 8, 2012, New York Post writer Tara Palmeri reported that an unnamed source close to the Jackson family claimed Jonathan Jackson was being primed to take his brother’s place in Congress. In a follow-up to reports about Jesse Jackson Jr.’s treatment at the Mayo Clinic for depression and gastrointestinal disorders, the Post said Jesse Jackson Sr. was “laying the groundwork” for Jonathan to run in the November election if Jesse Jr. “is not up to running for reelection.” The elder Jackson, according to the Post, has denied laying the table for Jonathan. In addition to teaching a full load at Chicago State, at the time Jonathan was a businessman focused on building his Cricket Wireless franchise operation.[24]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2022
In February 2022, Jackson announced his candidacy to represent Illinois’s 1st congressional district after the incumbent, Bobby Rush, announced his retirement a month earlier.[25] Campaigning as a progressive, he was endorsed by Bernie Sanders and other figures in the progressive wing of his party. He won a crowded Democratic primary with approximately 30% of the vote, and later easily the general election as expected in this heavily Democratic seat.[26]
Committee assignments
For the 118th Congress:[27]
Caucus memberships
- Congressional Progressive Caucus[28]
- Congressional Black Caucus[29]
- Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment[30]
Electoral history
2022
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jonathan Jackson | 21,607 | 28.2 | |
| Democratic | Pat Dowell | 14,594 | 19.0 | |
| Democratic | Karin Norington-Reaves | 10,825 | 14.1 | |
| Democratic | Jacqueline Collins | 9,299 | 12.1 | |
| Democratic | Chris Butler | 4,141 | 5.4 | |
| Democratic | Jahmal Cole | 4,045 | 5.3 | |
| Democratic | Jonathan Swain | 2,554 | 3.3 | |
| Democratic | Michael Thompson | 1,680 | 2.2 | |
| Democratic | Charise A. Williams | 1,601 | 2.1 | |
| Democratic | Cassandra Goodrum | 1,422 | 1.9 | |
| Democratic | Marcus Lewis | 901 | 1.2 | |
| Democratic | Robert Palmer | 899 | 1.2 | |
| Democratic | Nykea Pippion McGriff | 892 | 1.2 | |
| Democratic | Terre Layng Rosner | 780 | 1.0 | |
| Democratic | Ameena Matthews | 686 | 0.9 | |
| Democratic | Kirby Birgans | 511 | 0.7 | |
| Democratic | Steven DeJoie | 251 | 0.3 | |
| Total votes | 76,688 | 100.0 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jonathan Jackson | 159,142 | 67.0 | |
| Republican | Eric Carlson | 78,258 | 33.0 | |
| Write-in | 25 | 0.0 | ||
| Total votes | 237,425 | 100.0 | ||
Personal life
Jackson married Marilyn Ann Richards of Brooklyn in 1995. Their children include Jonathan T. Jackson, Leah Jackson, and Noah Jackson.[33]
See also
References
- ^ MORGANTHAU, TOM; SYLVESTER MONROE (November 14, 1983). “What Makes Jesse Run”. Newsweek. p. 50.
- ^ White, John (December 25, 2005). “Jonathan Jackson Weds Marilyn Ann Richards in Elaborate Ceremony”. Jet magazine. p. 59.
- ^ “JESSE JACKSON’S 40 YEARS OF SERVICE”. Jet magazine. November 20, 2006. p. 38.
- ^ a b “Son of Jesse Jackson resigned…” Orlando Sentinel. June 1, 1989. Archived from the original on October 9, 2011. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Business Day, Business Day (October 25, 2005). “South Africa; Jesse Jackson Gives Backing to SA’s Aids Plans”. Africa News.
{{cite news}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ “Reconnaissance Flights Will Continues”. United Press International. January 10, 1984.
- ^ Davis, Lanny (August 11, 2008). “Jesse Jackson’s Post Racial Legacy”. The Washington Times. pp. A04.
- ^ a b Pace, Gina (August 29, 2005). “Venezuela Wants Pat Robertson May Ask U.S. To Extradite Him; Jesse Jackson Visiting Caracas”. CBS News. Archived from the original on September 12, 2005. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Jon Burge Press Conference, retrieved May 17, 2022
- ^ Jon Burge Press Conference Oct 21, 2008, retrieved May 17, 2022
- ^ “All Illinois Exonerations – Center on Wrongful Convictions”. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Douglas, Deborah (November 14, 2008). “Memo to gov: Why no justice for innocent?”. Chicago Sun-Times. p. 29. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ “Johnnie Lee Savory, Center on Wrongful Convictions”. law.northwestern.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ a b “Chicago Public Schools : CPS withdraws proposals for six schools”. cps.edu. Archived from the original on March 3, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ “Stark contrasts between 2008 and 2009 Board meetings on schools closings, turnarounds, phase outs, etc. – Substance News”. substancenews.net. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ “Parents Concerned By Dangerous Walk To New School” February 10, 2010, 10:34 pm. Central, CBS Channel 2,“Parents Concerned by Dangerous Walk to New CPS School Through Englewood After Guggenheim Closes – cbs2chicago.com”. Archived from the original on February 23, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ “Ravitch Offers Passionate Defense of America’s Public School System – March 2, 2010 – The New York Sun”. nysun.com. March 2, 2010. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ Ravitch, Diane (April 2, 2010). “A new agenda for school reform”. The Washington Post. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ Staff reports, Johnson Publishing Co., “Yusef Jackson’s Ownership Group Purchases Anheuser-Busch Chicago Distributorship”. Jet magazine 14 December 1998
- ^ Flahery, Peter (March 18, 2001). “Jesse came to do good and did well”. The Baltimore Sun.
- ^ “Deborah Douglas: Turning Down $250 Million Is Not a Smart Move for ION or Minority TV Audiences”. HuffPost. December 8, 2009. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
- ^ “Cyrus Capital Extends Offer for ION Networks”. TradingMarkets.com. November 16, 2009. Retrieved April 10, 2010.[permanent dead link]
- ^ “KennedyKing College one of the City Colleges of Chicago”. kennedyking.ccc.edu. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
- ^ “Jesse Jackson Jr. Update: Congressman ‘Responding’ To Therapy, Father Reports”. HuffPost. August 8, 2012. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
- ^ Sweet, Lynn (February 7, 2022). “Jonathan Jackson, the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson, kicks off Congress bid in crowded Democratic primary”. Chicago Sun Times.
- ^ “Jonathan Jackson keeps 1st congressional seat in Democratic hands following US Rep. Bobby Rush’s retirement”. Chicago Tribune. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
- ^ “Jonathan L. Jackson”. Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 25, 2023.
- ^ “Progressive Caucus”. Progressive Caucus. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
- ^ “Committees and Caucuses”. Congressman Jonathan Jackson. January 3, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2023.
- ^ “Membership”. Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
- ^ “Election Results 2022 GENERAL PRIMARY”. Illinois State Board of Elections. Retrieved July 28, 2022.[permanent dead link]
- ^ “2022 General Election Results”. Archived from the original on January 28, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
- ^ White, John (December 25, 1995). “Jonathan Jackson weds Marilyn Ann Richards in elaborate ceremony”. Jet magazine. Archived from the original on April 7, 2010. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
External links
- Congressman Jonathan Jackson official U.S. House website
- Jonathan Jackson for Congress campaign website
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
