Jonathan Jackson

Jonathan Luther Jackson was born on January 7, 1966, in Chicago, Illinois, and is the son of civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Business from North Carolina A&T State University and a Master of Business Administration from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management. A member of the Democratic Party, Jackson was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Illinois's 1st congressional district in November 2022, assuming office on January 3, 2023. Prior to his election to Congress, Jackson's career spanned business, education, and social activism. He worked as a financial analyst and real estate developer, and was a partner in a Chicago-based beverage distributorship. He also taught finance and entrepreneurship at Chicago State University and City Colleges of Chicago. Jackson served for nearly twenty years as the national spokesman for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, where he advocated for civil rights and economic justice. His previous work includes international human rights missions and local efforts to prevent public school closures in Chicago.

Jackson's legislative priorities and public statements focus on social equity and economic reform. In healthcare, he is a supporter of 'Medicare for All' and views healthcare as a fundamental human right. His economic platform includes raising the federal minimum wage, providing student debt relief, and increasing federal funding for affordable housing construction. On the issue of public safety, he advocates for a ban on assault weapons and the implementation of universal background checks. In foreign policy, Jackson has supported military aid for Ukraine while calling for conditions on military assistance to Israel based on human rights standards. He also supports robust voting rights protections, reproductive rights, and increased federal investment in Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).