Early voting in the City of Chicago starts on February 12 at downtown locations. On March 2, 2026, early voting sites open in all 50 wards. The primary is March 17. We must get to the polls and make sure our voices are heard and represented on Talk Radio.
The urgency of this election cycle means we need skilled leadership with experience representing the Second Congressional District, ready on day one. We can’t afford to elect unqualified candidates without a proven legislative leadership skill set, notwithstanding a lack of knowledgeable congressional experience. That being said, you aren’t qualified or ready to represent one of us in Washington, D.C.
As we engage in our civic duties, many are discussing the issues on Talk Radio.
I’ve personally known the Jackson family for decades, and Jesse Jr. is like a son to me. Jesse Jackson Jr.’s public service has been rooted in the struggle for civil rights and human dignity. Long before he held office, he was present in the movement led by his father, civil rights icon, Reverend Jesse Jackson. With his father, Jesse Jr. marched, organized, learned how to fight, and understood at an early age that social justice is not symbolic. It is structural.
As a member of Congress for 17 years, Jesse Jackson Jr. translated that knowledge into action, consistently advocating for voting rights, equal protection under the law, and policies that recognized racism and economic exclusion as interconnected problems.
Social justice has never been an abstraction in Jackson Jr.’s work. He was one of the few voices on Capitol Hill who effectively argued that civil rights are meaningless without economic opportunity. In Congress, he brought nearly a billion dollars of investment, infrastructure, and jobs to communities that had been systematically left out of regional and national growth.
In this race, Jesse Jackson Jr. has presented a visionary economic plan to connect the Second Congressional District to the global economy. His plan—and it is extensive, detailed, and doable—is all about inclusion, connecting Black communities to opportunity rather than forcing them to survive on the margins. That belief continues to guide his current campaign, which centers on job creation, workforce development, and ensuring that Black neighborhoods are part of, and can benefit from, the jobs, wages, and opportunities of participating in the global economy.
Jesse Jackson Jr. has made healthcare another defining issue. He supports expanding access to care and strengthening protections for vulnerable populations, understanding that health outcomes are shaped by income, environment, and access, not just individual choices. I am proud of his advocacy around caregiving and the care economy, which again reflects his lived experience.
By speaking openly about caring for his father, he has elevated an issue that disproportionately affects Black families: unpaid care work that strains finances, health, and opportunity. His message is clear: care is not charity; it is part of America’s health and economic infrastructure.
Jesse Jackson Jr.’s story is not without setbacks. Leadership is not measured by the absence of mistakes; it is measured by accountability, growth, and resilience. In a political system that too often writes people off, Jackson Jr.’s willingness to work hard, become a better leader, and recommit himself to the public good resonates deeply with communities that understand and value resilience and redemption.
At its core, this congressional race must be about trust earned over time. Jesse Jackson Jr. has shown up for Black communities in moments of both progress and pain. He understands that civil rights, economic growth, healthcare, and social justice are not separate fights, but one shared struggle for dignity and opportunity.
At a moment when our communities are once again confronting threats to civil and voting rights, widening economic inequality, and deep gaps in healthcare access, the question before voters is not only who can best represent us in Congress, but also who can do the job on day one and act with urgency to solve the problems hurting people across the Second Congressional District.
That is why his voice, his lived experience, and his record of accomplishment matter. Therefore, I highly recommend and endorse Jesse Jackson Jr. as our best choice to represent us in Congress, qualified and ready on day one.