Politics & Government
Jesse Jackson Jr. to Keep 2nd District Seat
Unofficial results show the 17-year congressman took the race by a wide margin, even without making an appearance in his district since June.
Jesse Jackson Jr. will remain the 2nd District congressman after defeating his opponents in the general election.
Jackson took more than 60 percent of the vote, with more than 60 percent of precincts reporting across Will, Cook, and Kankakee counties, as well as the City of Chicago, around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
Jackson's Republican opponent Brian Woodworth was frank when it came to discussing the congressman's absence from the campaign trail.
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“I don’t really have anyone to concede to, do I?" Woodworth said. “From what I can find in my records, I’ve actually performed better than any Republican in the past against Jackson.“
Woodworth did take major leads in Will and Kankakee counties, leading Jackson by more than 10,000 votes in the latter before all precincts were reported.
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“People in Kankakee and Will (counties) do not want Chicago politics down here," Woodworth said. "It’s something the Democrats need to keep in mind two years from now when there’s a governor race to run. Will and Kankakee don’t like being grouped in with Chicago politics.
Jackson's independent opponent Marcus Lewis was happy to have nabbed nearly 30,000 votes with more than 60 percent of precincts reporting.
“To get this far with next to no money is incredible," Lewis said. “Not to have it is the painful part."
Lewis had a sharper tongue when it came to Jackson and his supporters.
"The man is corrupt," Lewis said. "Anybody that voted for him is as corrupt because you do not care about your district. You only care about making sure the status quo remains in place. I did my part.”
Jackson took a medical leave of absence in June and has been absent from office ever since. It was announced that he had entered the Mayo clinic and was being treated for Bipolar II disorder in August. Jackson was released in September, but later returned to the clinic in October.
Jackson is currently the subject of two federal-level investigations, one of which is a criminal investigation into his campaign spending.
There is no timetable for the congressman's return to office.
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