About Jonathan
Meet Jonathan L. Jackson
Fighting for Chicago's working families: committed to real change.
A proud legacy of public service
I am Jonathan Luther Jackson, the third of five children born to the civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. and social justice advocate Jacqueline Lavina Jackson.
I was born in Chicago on January 7, 1966 during the civil rights era – a time when my parents and civil rights leaders across this country were fighting for Americans who had been denied access to the American dream and to freedoms enjoyed by everyone else.
My DNA is built around fighting for social change. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was my Godfather and I am honored with the middle name of Luther. I carry it very proudly because of who Dr. King was to this world and more personally to me and my family.
Ready to put Chicago's families first on the issues that matter most.
As your next Congressman I will dedicate myself to fighting for issues that level the playing field for all.
I will fight for good-quality jobs through economic development, higher wages and equal pay for women, affordable housing, and childcare. Working families should be able to afford a mortgage or monthly rent payment, along with good childcare, without having to use up more than half of their income.
I will encourage smarter transportation policies that invest in public transportation and high-speed rail.
I will strongly support Medicare for All so that everyone is provided affordable access to high-quality health care.
I will support the Green New Deal to improve the environment by investing in climate-protecting industries that also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs here and across the nation.
I will push for overdue structural changes to our political and financial systems to provide more tax fairness and allow many more to share in our nation’s wealth – not just billionaires.
I will fight for stronger gun laws that keep dangerous guns off our streets and out of the hands of violent criminals.
Last, but not least, I will demand a far better education for our nation’s children through investment in early childhood schooling and affordable access to good colleges and vocational schools.
My DNA is built around fighting for social change. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was my Godfather and I am honored with the middle name of Luther. I carry it very proudly because of who Dr. King was to this world and more personally to me and my family.
Deep roots in our community. The experience to get things done.
A married father of three children, I reside in the same area of the city where I grew up. I have traveled the world to fight for human rights, but I have always sustained a deep love for my neighborhood and my city, and I will never abandon my deep roots in the 1st district.
I graduated from Whitney Young High School and followed in my father’s and mother’s footsteps to North Carolina Agricultural & Technical University, where I majored in business. I later earned a master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.
My career in business began as an investment analyst, working in a major investment firm. Later, I worked as an analyst in a successful bank and on the floor of the Chicago Board of Trade. I worked in real estate development and then launched several businesses in Telecom, breweries, and construction industries. As part of my commitment to developing future leaders, I also teach business at the collegiate level.
My collective experiences have prepared me to effectively represent all citizens who live in the 1st Congressional District’s communities: Englewood, Frankfort, Roseland, Hyde Park, Joliet, Kankakee, Orland Park and the south suburbs.
A commitment to the 1st Congressional District defined by honesty, respect, and an always open ear.
I will always conduct myself in an honorable and ethical manner as your Representative in Congress. I will strive to be as effective as the Congressman who have served before me – like Oscar S. De Priest, Arthur W. Mitchell, William Dawson, Ralph Metcalfe, Bennett M. Stewart, Harold Washington, Charles A. Hayes and our beloved congressman Bobby Rush.
I will always heed the advice of my constituents to better understand their daily struggles and work with them to improve their lives.
Working together we all win.
