Jesse Jackson Jr., Sandi Jackson And Jonathan Jackson Considering Mayoral Bid

Even before Mayor Daley announced that he would not be seeking a seventh term, there was speculation that Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. would run some day. Now, his wife and brother are considering getting in on the action as well.

Alderman Sandi Jackson told NBC Chicago that she and her husband are both considering a run--but not against one another.

"I love campaigns," Sandi Jackson told NBC. "My husband and I will sit down and decide if either of us will run."

Jackson Jr., the son of Rev. Jesse Jackson, has considered running against Daley in the past--but never went through with it. He also served as national co-chairman of then-Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008.

His name was dragged through the mud in 2008--when then-Governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested and accused of trying to sell Obama's senate seat. Jackson Jr. was allegedly one of the people Blagojevich attempted to sell the senate seat to. Blagojevich was ultimately convicted on one count of lying to federal investigators, but faces a retrial in January. Blagojevich's lawyers expressed regret in not calling Jackson Jr. to the stand--and he could have to take it the second time around.

While the list of possible mayoral candidates keeps growing, one surprise on Wednesday was interest from Jonathan Jackson--Jesse Jackson Jr.'s brother and a professor at Chicago State University.

"I had not seriously considered it before but now I am," Jonathan Jackson told the Chicago Defender. "I will take a strong look at it and make a decision fairly soon."

Should be an interesting few weeks for the Jackson family.

Comments

[crookedcountyillinois]

01:41 AM on 09/10/2010

Jesse Jackson, Jr. should go back to what he's good at: standing the background while Forrest Claypool lies about the 7% "cap."

[jayevans20]

05:57 PM on 09/09/2010

None of whom I'll vote for. I use to like Jackson Jr but his run ins with Blago and the proposed deal they tried to make turned me off towards him. His wife would be lucky to receive 10 votes in Chicago. I don't even know who the other guy is. Valerie Jarret or David Hoffman and may be Tom Dart are the only three I'll vote for.

[BluebirdofUnhappiness]

12:07 AM on 09/10/2010

That pretty much sums up my thoughts. As political nepotism goes, the city could have done worse than Richie (Todd Stroger comes to mind) but should have done better. The problem is the good ones never run, or if they do, never win the primaries.

[bruja]

04:12 PM on 09/09/2010

Sounds as if this will be a very interesting time in Chicago. So many folks interested in running for this job that will continue to be very challenging.

[cgeorgan]

12:43 PM on 09/09/2010

Jesse Jackson Jr. only needs to know one thing:  To whom he should sent the check.

[corwin]

12:27 PM on 09/09/2010

I'm somewhat embarassed. I assumed it was members of the Jackson %

[katok]

11:46 AM on 09/09/2010

If we had two more Jackson's, we could refer to them as the Jackson 5 :-)

[kwoodberryesq]

10:55 AM on 09/09/2010

What makes Sandi think anyone takes her seriously. It's hard to take JJ seriously, but she is absolutely not even a remote possibility.

[jayevans20]

05:58 PM on 09/09/2010

I totally agree.

[MilesTone]

10:55 AM on 09/09/2010

It really doesn't matter whether any of these folks run. They have the right to run if they meet the minimum qualifications. The issue is whether we as Chicagoans will be dumb enough to vote for any of them. We simply do not need more of the same political corruption and ineptitude that we've had under the current mayor. In my opinion anyone who has been appointed to any position by Daley in the past is unfit and anyone that has been involved in any type of scandal is unfit and anyone who has close ties to Daley is unfit.

[jayevans20]

06:00 PM on 09/09/2010

Amen! Spot on except the close ties to Daley part.

[JeffmChicago]

10:35 AM on 09/09/2010

There's a huge question mark over the Jackson family name. They've been in the news for so many years good and bad but for me the bad outways the good.

I couldn't bring myself to vote for any Jackson member. There's something shady about sr and jr jackson.

[jayevans20]

06:01 PM on 09/09/2010

Good point. I think the good should be over the bad though. If your not Black then you'll probably think other wise. Any way I agree that I wouldn't vote for any of them either.

[JFaye]

10:22 AM on 09/09/2010

Whatever Jackson runs and if by some chance either of them win, Daddy Jackson will become more of an opportunist than ever before. Think it is time for some new blood ...

[Aldyth]

08:37 AM on 09/09/2010

Wanna bet that JJ Junior ends up being subpeonaed to testify in Blago Trial 2.0. He's way too close to efforts to buy him that Senate seat - you can't tell me he didn't know that big money offers were being made on his behalf.

If he runs, he'll be embarrassed by how little support he gets.

[BushBites]

08:21 AM on 09/09/2010

I'll vote for Tito.

[TrueBlueDemMI]

08:13 AM on 09/09/2010

Regretfully, something tells me that Ron Huberman, who has failed at every Daley appointed position, is off-stage groomed and ready for his close-up.

[maxtruthful]

03:33 AM on 09/09/2010

Dart has already won the election.

Jackson is viewed as pork, the son of someone self-made -- unlike the son.
Whoever bought the Obama election - will seek to buy the Mayor's job also.
Blago trial is central to much of this no doubt.

[kjgirl]

02:19 AM on 09/09/2010

Noooooo!!! none of these scammers please!