Representative Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. was elected to the United States House of Representatives on Tuesday, December 12, 1995 and was sworn in as a member of the 104th Congress on Thursday, December 14, 1995. The Democrat 30 years old when he was elected in a special election to serve out the last year of the term of former Representative Mel Reynolds, who had been convicted earlier that year of having sex with an underage campaign worker ("It's Jesse Jackson Jr.'s Day" Kidnews Section). Jackson represents Illinois District 2.
Jackson first entered a primary contest that drew only about 20 percent of the electorate, and in that election he defeated three other candidates to qualify for the December 12 special election. He then faced lawyer and Republican Thomas Somer (Hardy and Rubin A1).
When Jackson then had to run on his own as an incumbent the following year, he faced only token opposition. Indeed, no Republican at all stood against him. Thomas Somer had again been nominated to run in a republican primary in March of 1996, but he decided to withdraw from the race before the election in November. Frank Stratman, a Libertarian party candidate, was the only candidate opposing Jackson in November. The 2nd District extends from the South side of Chicago to the south suburbs of cook county. It is largely Democratic and gave President Clinton 80 percent of its vote in 1992. In that same year, Mel Reynolds won the congressional seat, and Reynolds won the general election in 1994 Republican opposition. Republicans saw an opportunity when Reynolds was removed from office, but Jackson received 76 percent of the vote in 1995 (Locin Metro 1). Jackson is on the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services, the Domestic and International Monetary Policy Committee, and the Committee on Housing and Community Opportunity.
The 2nd District consists of the urban working-class neighborhoods of the South side and the more ...