Jesse Jackson Jr.

Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is an American former politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative for Illinois's 2nd congressional district from 1995 until his resignation in 2012. Before entering Congress, Jackson was active in the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and the Democratic National Committee. As a member of the House of Representatives, he served on the House Appropriations Committee and worked on a broad range of legislative issues. In 2012, Jackson took a medical leave of absence and later resigned from Congress, citing bipolar II disorder and gastrointestinal problems. Following a federal investigation into his misuse of campaign funds, he pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. He completed his prison sentence in 2015. In 2024, supporters unsuccessfully sought a presidential pardon for Jackson. He sought to return to Congress in the 2026 Democratic primary for Illinois's 2nd congressional district, but was defeated by Donna Miller.