Jesse Jackson, Jr. /

Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is the U.S. Representative for Illinois's 2nd congressional district, serving since the special election in 1995. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the part of the Southland southeast suburbs of Chicago and part of the Chicago South Side. He is the son of activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. His wife, Sandi Jackson, serves on the Chicago City Council. He served as a national co-chairman of the 2008 Barack Obama presidential campaign. Prior to elective politics Jackson was active in international civil rights activism. He participated in his father's presidential campaigns and then in the office of his Rainbow Coalition. During his time in public office he has co-authored three books, two of them with his father. Jackson has a consistent liberal record on both social and fiscal issues. His most important political issue has been the pursuit of the proposed Chicago south suburban airport to serve as a third major airport for the Chicago metropolitan area. He has been a very active Democratic spokesperson for other Democratic candidates and a popular interviewee and broadcast media guest.