Politics & Government
Jesse Jackson Jr. Pitches Redemption In Bid For Old House Seat Years After Campaign Fraud Conviction
The son of the civil rights icon tries to bring it up first: A 2013 campaign fraud conviction that ended his 17-year political career.
February 6, 2026
As Jesse Jackson Jr. campaigns for his old U.S. House seat at Chicago-area churches, banquet halls and on Black radio shows, he often takes a moment to address the obvious matter hanging over his political comeback.
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The son of the civil rights icon tries to bring it up first: A 2013 campaign fraud conviction that ended his 17-year political career.
"It's now part of my story," Jackson told the pastors, elected officials and retirees gathered on a recent Saturday to hear his lofty plan to revive Chicago's sagging south suburbs. "I've cried enough. I'm divorced now. I've lost my home in foreclosure. I've been through everything that comes with that process."
