“Jonathan understands economic development, economic revitalization.”

Silicon Valley Congressman Ro Khanna to Join Jonathan Jackson, Candidate for Congress, 1st

(Chicago, May 5, 2022) Silicon Valley Cong. Ro Khanna traveled to Chicago to demonstrate his support for Jonathan L. Jackson’s campaign for Illinois Congressman of the 1st District. Khanna’s visit focused attention on a couple of Jackson’s key platform issues: the need to bring tech jobs, technological industry, and advanced manufacturing to the Chicagoland region, including the 1st Congressional District, and preparing minority youth to effectively participate in the new economic opportunities of a technological future.

The visit’s itinerary started with the two men speaking on the realities of such opportunities with students at Lindblom Math & Science Academy in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood.

Khanna told the students that the US will have 25 million tech jobs by 2025. “I’ve spoken to President Biden about ensuring minorities receive at least one million of these jobs,” he said.

Khanna described a program that he was instrumental in starting with Google at Benedict College, South Carolina, to give their students internships that will turn into full-time jobs in the technology sector.
Khanna said, “We can bring that to every HBCU and every community college. The interest of Black students is there, but the opportunities are not there,” he added. Jackson and Khanna’s shared vision of
increasing tech job training/opportunities in the 1st Congressional District and the Chicagoland region, compelled Khanna to travel to Chicago to endorse Jackson’s candidacy.

“Let me tell you why I am all in for Jonathan,” Khanna said at an endorsement session at the Jackson campaign office. “Jonathan understands economic development, economic revitalization. He has a plan and he’s going to work with people in Congress to bring the new manufacturing in this country—the new steel, the clean steel, the new battery production, the Giga factories; the fact that we are going to be making the new semiconductors—bring that to this district, to this area. He understands that we have to produce things in America and have those economic jobs in this community. And we’re going to be working together to do that, in Chicago, starting in his district, and then around the country.”

According to Khanna, Jackson’s established reputation and relationships will prove to be important assets.
“[Jackson] will step into Congress on day one and be a national leader,” the Congressman said. “He has a national reputation, already, in terms of what he’s going to bring. A lot of the progressive movement is going to look up to him, but he has a lot of good relationships in the Congressional Black Caucus, and he’s got a relationship with the President. He’s going to bring together the progressive wing, the moderate wing, the different caucuses, to be a national leader for economic revitalization

According to Khanna, Jackson’s established reputation and relationships will prove to be important assets.
“[Jackson] will step into Congress on day one and be a national leader,” the Congressman said. “He has a national reputation, already, in terms of what he’s going to bring. A lot of the progressive movement is going to look up to him, but he has a lot of good relationships in the Congressional Black Caucus, and he’s got a relationship with the President. He’s going to bring together the progressive wing, the moderate wing, the different caucuses, to be a national leader for economic revitalization.

“We need him in Congress,” Khanna concluded. “Let’s get him in there with a thumping majority. I’m honored to endorse him. I’m all in!”

For his part, Jackson is just as enthusiastic about the possibility of working with Khanna in Congress. “He wants to move forward with people of color, in inclusion, in technology,” Jackson said about the congressman that hails from the wealthiest district in the country, where the capitalization of the corporations in his district exceeds $11 trillion.

“He wants to see jobs and technology come to the south side of Chicago,” Jackson said of Khanna. “He knows that we have talent here that’s untapped, and he wants to connect the wealth of his district. We need to have those assets deployed and invested in our community.”