Sandi Jackson
Encyclopedia
Sandra Lee "Sandi" Jackson (born Stevens, formerly Sandra Lee Stevens), (born September 14, 1963), was elected to the Chicago City Council
as an alderman
of the 7th ward (map) of the City of Chicago in the 2007 municipal elections held on February 27, 2007. She succeeds Darcel A. Beavers who had been appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley
after the 2006 November elections to succeed her father William Beavers
, Jackson's rival, as alderman of the 7th Ward.
She is the wife of U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
and daughter-in-law of Jesse Jackson
. Her candidacy for the city council of a major city was part of national news stories in The New York Times
, and thoughts of her running for a position in the United States House of Representatives
was noted in Time
.
Jackson has also been a longtime political consultant through her solely owned consulting firm J. Donatella & Associates.
, Jackson grew up in Akron, Ohio
. She is an alumnus of Buchtel High School
in Akron. Her mother, Sarah Stevens, who is from Atlanta, Georgia
, worked three jobs cleaning homes to raise Jackson and two other children. Later Jackson helped her mother clean homes to pay her way through Bowling Green State University
, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1985. Jackson's father, Robert Stevens, was from Akron. Jackson met her future husband while still a law student at Georgetown University Law Center
and he convinced her to transfer to be with him at the University of Illinois College of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor
in 1992. The couple married on June 1, 1991. The Jackson family keeps two homes. They own one in the South Shore community area, which is within both the Illinois' 2nd congressional district that Congressman Jackson represents in the United States House of Representatives and within the seventh ward
that Sandi Jackson represents on the Chicago City Council. The South Shore home serves as an election base. This home was the featured renovation on an HGTV Hidden Potential episode, first aired on March 24, 2009. They also own a home in Dupont Circle
in Washington, D.C.
, which served as the family home and base for his service in Congress prior to her election. Prior to being elected, Jackson resided four days a week in Chicago and three days a week in Washington D.C.
The Jacksons have two children, Jessica Donatella Jackson (13 March 2000 (age 11)) and Jesse Louis Jackson, III, who is nicknamed "Tre", (19 September 2003 (age 8)). Sarah Stevens accompanies the family on commutes between Chicago and Washington. Jessica attended school in the Washington Metropolitan Area
before Jackson's service on the city council. After Jackson was elected to serve as a full-time politician in a local legislative body in Chicago, she and her husband decided to have their children attend school in Chicago starting in the fall of 2007. Later, however, the family decided to keep their base in Washington. The family's residential choice has been a campaign issue as well as fodder for a local op-ed
discussant.
Jackson had suffered multiple miscarriage
s before the birth of her two children. In a highly publicized medical case, she lost a boy who was born four months premature at University of Utah Medical Center
in 1998. Complications arose while the couple was attending a youth leadership conference in Deer Valley
20 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah
. Jackson survived a three-hour surgical removal of a benign tumor from her neck on May 7, 2008. During the 2008 Christmas
holidays, the family suffered a fire and was force to spend the holiday season in a downtown hotel. In 2001, Jackson had a chili
recipe published in "The Barking Gourmet," the St. Albans School
family cookbook.
for United States Congressman Mickey Leland
. After the 1988 Democratic National Convention
, she began working for Michael Dukakis
who had become the Democratic party's nominee for United States President in the 1988 United States presidential election
.
Jackson's political career prior to her election as 7th Ward Alderman included the following positions: Deputy Director of Training for the Democratic National Committee
, Director of Scheduling Operations for Rev. Jesse Jackson
, Vice President of Congressional and External Affairs for the Export-Import Bank of the United States
(appointed by Bill Clinton
), Director of VIP Relations for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, National Outreach Coordinator for the Clinton/Gore
96 Campaign, and campaign manager and chief political strategist for many other politicians.
While Jackson was serving as the Export-Import Bank's director of congressional affairs, she lobbied in opposition of her husband's proposal to tighten the restrictions on the activities in Africa of the Export-Import Bank. She did so successfully, as her husband's amendment failed.
Jackson considered running for public office during the 2003 Chicago municipal elections. At the time, Jackson, Jr. discouraged his wife from running for public office. However, he felt his wife should be eligible to run for Alderman, despite the controversy surrounding such a candidacy.
In 2006, William Beavers announced that he would resign his 7th ward aldermanic seat to pursue the Cook County Board seat being vacated by John Stroger
, after Stroger was forced to resign following a stroke
. Beavers requested that Mayor Daley appoint his daughter to replace him, in order for her to have the incumbency advantage in the February 27, 2007 municipal elections. The deal also allowed for Todd Stroger
to replace his father John as the president of the County Board and Beavers to surrender his ward seat after presiding over Mayor Daley's 2007 City Council budget hearings. In July 2007, when it first became public that Sandi Jackson was considering running for the 7th ward alderman seat, which would disrupt all the backroom dealings between the Strogers and the Beavers with Daley's approval, Jackson, Jr. encouraged her to run. In the November 2006 elections, William Beavers won the County Board seat while Stroger won the County Board President's office that had been part of the dealings. On December 5, 2006, Jackson officially filed paperwork with state election officials. On December 12, Mayor Daley appointed Darcel Beavers to succeed her father until the Spring municipal elections. Then, on December 18, which is the filing deadline for petitions, Jackson filed 5000 petition signatures to run for alderman.
Jackson carried numerous endorsements including The Chicago Tribune
and numerous labor unions. Jackson was not endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Organization
.
The Jackson family (Sandi, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
, and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.) have occasionally not seen eye to eye with Mayor Daley. In fact, Congressman
Jackson was considering contesting Daley for Mayor until the Democratic Party
success in the 2006 fall elections made it clear he could be very productive by remaining in Congress because of his party's majority. Sandi Jackson, who is credited with encouraging Jackson, Jr. to run for Congress, had been supportive of the idea of him running for mayor. William Beavers had been a longtime Daley ally. However, Jackson says she has good relations with the Daleys, especially Bill Daley
.
Jackson took leave from her position as deputy political director of training for the Democratic National Committee to run and her husband bought up the billboard
s in the ward to post an image of the couple. Jackson, Jr. had acquired the rights to 1800 billboards in the city in preparation for his own possible mayoral candidacy. He relinquished the rights to all but those useful to his wife in her ward and a few candidates that he endorsed. Jackson, Jr. invested US$200,000 in his wife's campaign to pay for billboards, mailers, phone banks, a campaign manager and other professional staffers. William Beavers was unimpressed with the spending and had his employees remind voters that Jackson did not live in the Ward and his daughter did. William Beavers attempted to make Jackson's Washington residence an issue, and there was mudslinging in the public press between the Beavers and the Jacksons. Jackson campaigned for the 7th ward alderman position based on the issues of economy, education, and public safety. She also described the lakefront ward as prime commercial real estate ripe for development.
Beavers was one of only four incumbents on the 50-member City Council to lose during the municipal elections. Five new alderman supported by organized labor and Jackson Jr. won seats.
lakefront, and the ward includes portions of the South Shore
, South Chicago
, Calumet Heights
, and South Deering
community areas
.
Jackson's aldermanic career began inauspiciously when she complained to the Chicago Sun-Times
, one of Chicago's major daily newspapers, that she was caught off-guard by the need to pay office start-up expenses up front. This provided fodder for a columnist in the Chicago Tribune
, the other major daily, and anonymous on-line commenters on the Chicago Sun-Times web site made light of the issue. At the time, Jackson was considered by one local political writer as the most closely watched of the nine newly elected aldermen that were sworn in on May 21, 2007 and by another as the "star" of the incoming class of nine freshman aldermen.
Her first political statement as an alderman was disappointment in Mayor Daley's decision to force his affordable housing ordinance through the council with nine lame duck
councilmen during the week before the new class was sworn in because new alderman would be "forced to live by" the new ordinance. Meanwhile her husband propounded a 10-point ethics reform that would give the city's inspector general power to investigate aldermen; reduce the number of City Council committees to 10; limit municipal campaign contributions for each election cycle; and strip the mayor of the authority to appoint replacements for aldermanic vacancies.
Upon assuming office, she stated that she would emphasize economic development
as her primary goal for her ward. One of her goals has been to redevelop the 570 acres (2.31 km²) landfill
on the site of the former U.S. Steel
mill into a lakefront community.
A local political writer immediately looked for signs that the nine new councilmen who were supported by pro-labor forces would form a block against the pro-business Mayor and old guard members. Five of the new members were among eleven dissenters in a vote on mandatory public art purchase procedures during their first month on the job. In the fall of 2007, Jackson along with several other African-American alderman took issue with the allotment of contracts on the O'Hare Airport runway expansion project because African-American firms were only awarded 8% of the contracts and no general contractor
roles. (Jackson's husband is a main proponent of the proposed Chicago south suburban airport
in Peotone, Illinois
). Jackson voted with the minority in the 29-21 vote approving the Mayor's November 2007 property tax
increase. The February 2008 Real Estate Transfer Tax Increase also drew opposition from Jackson and a small minority of aldermen.
Jackson was among the co-sponsors of a council resolution in opposition of U.S. military attacks against Iraq
.
There has been international press covering the City Council's deliberations regarding Grant Park
and the Chicago Children's Museum
. Mayor Daley has propounded a controversial proposal to relocate the Chicago Children's Museum from Navy Pier
to a City park, Grant Park that passed 33–16, with Jackson in the minority.
Jackson called attention to American Airlines
' newly imposed luggage
handling fees for even the first checked bag. She claimed that the fees were contrary to Section 26-04 of the Airport Use Agreement with the City of Chicago, which is the contract that permits American Airlines to be a carrier in Chicago airports. The initial plan exempted Platinum and Executive card holders who were generally business travelers and placed an inordinate burden of new fees on the common traveler in contravention of the non-discriminatory price agreement in the agreement. She expressed interest in a City Council forum on the issue. She wrote directly to American Airlines and then wrote an article in the Chicago Sun-Times on the issue.
Jackson was among the councilman and citizens who expressed outrage at the light punishment issued by the mayor's office over a multi-million dollar city contract scheme. Jackson viewed it as a moral issue where the Mayor did not appropriately condemn immoral activity, which in her eyes encourages similar behavior. During a Summer 2008 violent crime
rash she was among the aldermen calling for refocussed emphasis on adequate police support.
She continues to tout a plan to redevelop the USX steel mill as an effort to revitalize her ward. She foresees 17,000 new residences, a high-end mall, and significant amounts of parkland with construction beginning in 2009. By the beginning of her second year on the 50-person city council, Jackson had already amassed the 17th largest pool of campaign funds.
She has been vocal in pursuit of transparency on the issue of whether Mayor Daley should transfer the monitoring of city hiring to Inspector General David Hoffman and has voted against the mayors proposal to create a separate Office of Compliance. Her voting record earned her praise from the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization
. A year and a half into Jackson's first term, local political commentator Don Rose writing in the Chicago Sun-Times
included Jackson among four aldermen he considered to be inheriting a mantel of reform.
In 2001, the Federal Election Commission
ruled that Jackson, Jr. could hire his wife on his campaign payroll. The ruling stated that relatives can be employed as long as they were compensated "no more than the fair market value" for their services. At the time, Sandi Jackson was employed by the Democratic National Committee
(DNC) as the deputy director of training. Many other lawmakers have made similar arrangements without contacting the FEC for a ruling. When House Majority Leader
Tom Delay
was charged with ethical infractions, matters such as these came to light. Jackson remained on the payroll of her husband's main campaign fund, Jesse Jackson Jr. for Congress, in 2006 as she considered a run for public office. She also continued to be employed by the Howard Dean
of the DNC.
US Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s congressional campaign organization has paid his wife Sandra Jackson at least $247,500 between 2001 and early 2009, including at least $95,000 after Sandra Jackson joined the Chicago City Council two years ago, according to federal election records. Sandra Jackson received the $95,000 for political consulting after pledging during her campaign to give “my full attention” to the alderman’s post. From 2003 through mid-2005, the recipient is shown on Jackson’s reports as “Lee Stevens” or “Lee Steven” at the J. Donatella firm. Sandi Jackson’s middle name is Lee. Her maiden name is Stevens. In addition to payments to Sandra for consulting work, Jackson’s political committee also gave at least $298,927 in cash and in-kind contributions to Sandra Jackson’s campaign fund, the “Friends of Sandi Jackson.” Jesse Jackson’s political committee has transferred more than $227,000 to Sandi Jackson’s campaign organization since October 2006, according to his campaign reports. He provided in-kind benefits of $71,914, including billboard space worth about $66,000. The congressman got some reciprocal benefit when the “Friends of Sandi Jackson” bankrolled a Zogby International poll that showed Jesse Jackson atop a list of 10 possible contenders to replace Obama in the Senate. Sandi Jackson’s campaign reports show almost $26,000 paid to Utica, New York-based Zogby two days before polling began.
Jackson received a $4,000 digital radio
from Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (Chicago's 911 Center) to monitor snow removal
and emergency operations in her ward. The radio was returned when the controversy that arose led to a personnel reshuffling that included the reassignment of a high ranking Hispanic city employee.
When Congressman Bobby Rush
was battling cancer
, Time
and other publications mentioned Jackson as a potential future candidate for the United States House of Representatives
in Illinois's 1st congressional district. Responding to resignation requests, Rush noted that he would be returning to his congressional duties following post-operative treatment. When he returned to full health he noted his disappointment in the premature consideration of his replacement. The issue led to a public reconciliation initiated by Jackson, Jr. at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
, termed a "hugfest" by the press. While considering the possibility of Jackson, Jr. being appointed to fill Barack Obama
's United States Senate
seat, the Chicago Sun-Times mentioned her as a possible candidate for Jackson, Jr.'s Illinois's 2nd congressional district
seat.
During the Rod Blagojevich corruption scandal, Jackson's name was mentioned in the pay-to-play activities of then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
. Allegedly, the governor had considered her for the state lottery director and then asked for contributions from her husband Congressman Jackson. After the Congressman Jackson did not make a contribution, she was not selected and Blagojevich made the causality of the non-contribution in the matter.
In 2008, her second year as alderman, Jackson directed more than $32,000 in payments from her aldermanic expense account to her American Express
account. Jackson said she used an AmEx account to launch her office during her freshman term. Jackson was among aldermen who attended the International Council of Shopping Centers, held in Las Vegas
, to seek new development for their wards.
post. Among other duties, committeemen determine appointments for vacated political posts in and including their ward. Two days later, Beavers filed to run to retain his position. In the race for the local post, her husband requested permission from the Federal Election Commission
to use his campaign funds in support of her local race. The commission voted in favor of allowing unlimited contributions to his wife's candidacy from his $827,000 fund. On February 5, 2008, Sandi Jackson defeated rival William Beavers in the election for 7th Ward Democratic Committeemen by 77.5%–22.5%., a 3–1 margin over Beavers.
Jackson has also been a long-time political consultant through her solely owned consulting firm J. Donatella & Associates. She has run and advised on several Democratic campaigns including her husband's Congressional races. She continued to be active in this arena while serving as an alderman. She has served as a campaign manager and chief political strategist for Robin Kelly
, David Miller
, William Davis
and James Meeks
.
Chicago City Council
The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 aldermen elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms...
as an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the 7th ward (map) of the City of Chicago in the 2007 municipal elections held on February 27, 2007. She succeeds Darcel A. Beavers who had been appointed by Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
after the 2006 November elections to succeed her father William Beavers
William Beavers
William M. Beavers is a County Commissioner for District 4 of Cook County, Illinois, which encompasses part of Chicago's South Side and southern suburbs. He previously was an alderman of the 7th Ward in Chicago. A member of the Democratic Party, he served in the Chicago City Council from 1983 to...
, Jackson's rival, as alderman of the 7th Ward.
She is the wife of U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Jesse Louis Jackson, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since the special election in 1995. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
and daughter-in-law of Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
. Her candidacy for the city council of a major city was part of national news stories in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, and thoughts of her running for a position in the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
was noted in Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
.
Jackson has also been a longtime political consultant through her solely owned consulting firm J. Donatella & Associates.
Personal life
Born in Kittery, MaineMaine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, Jackson grew up in Akron, Ohio
Akron, Ohio
Akron , is the fifth largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Summit County. It is located in the Great Lakes region approximately south of Lake Erie along the Little Cuyahoga River. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 199,110. The Akron Metropolitan...
. She is an alumnus of Buchtel High School
Buchtel High School
John R. Buchtel High School is a public high school in Akron, Ohio. It is one of seven high schools in the Akron Public Schools district. It is commonly known as Buchtel High School.-History:...
in Akron. Her mother, Sarah Stevens, who is from Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, worked three jobs cleaning homes to raise Jackson and two other children. Later Jackson helped her mother clean homes to pay her way through Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University, often referred to as Bowling Green or BGSU, is a public, coeducational research university located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The institution was granted a charter in 1910 by the State of Ohio as part of the Lowry Bill, which also established Kent State...
, where she earned her bachelor's degree in 1985. Jackson's father, Robert Stevens, was from Akron. Jackson met her future husband while still a law student at Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center
Georgetown University Law Center is the law school of Georgetown University, located in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1870, the Law Center offers J.D., LL.M., and S.J.D. degrees in law...
and he convinced her to transfer to be with him at the University of Illinois College of Law, where she earned her Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1992. The couple married on June 1, 1991. The Jackson family keeps two homes. They own one in the South Shore community area, which is within both the Illinois' 2nd congressional district that Congressman Jackson represents in the United States House of Representatives and within the seventh ward
Wards of the United States
In the United States, a ward is an optional division of a city or town, especially an electoral district, for administrative and representative purposes...
that Sandi Jackson represents on the Chicago City Council. The South Shore home serves as an election base. This home was the featured renovation on an HGTV Hidden Potential episode, first aired on March 24, 2009. They also own a home in Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle
Dupont Circle is a traffic circle, park, neighborhood, and historic district in Northwest Washington, D.C. The traffic circle is located at the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue NW, Connecticut Avenue NW, New Hampshire Avenue NW, P Street NW, and 19th Street NW...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, which served as the family home and base for his service in Congress prior to her election. Prior to being elected, Jackson resided four days a week in Chicago and three days a week in Washington D.C.
The Jacksons have two children, Jessica Donatella Jackson (13 March 2000 (age 11)) and Jesse Louis Jackson, III, who is nicknamed "Tre", (19 September 2003 (age 8)). Sarah Stevens accompanies the family on commutes between Chicago and Washington. Jessica attended school in the Washington Metropolitan Area
Washington Metropolitan Area
The Washington Metropolitan Area is the metropolitan area centered on Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. The area includes all of the federal district and parts of the U.S...
before Jackson's service on the city council. After Jackson was elected to serve as a full-time politician in a local legislative body in Chicago, she and her husband decided to have their children attend school in Chicago starting in the fall of 2007. Later, however, the family decided to keep their base in Washington. The family's residential choice has been a campaign issue as well as fodder for a local op-ed
Op-ed
An op-ed, abbreviated from opposite the editorial page , is a newspaper article that expresses the opinions of a named writer who is usually unaffiliated with the newspaper's editorial board...
discussant.
Jackson had suffered multiple miscarriage
Miscarriage
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion is the spontaneous end of a pregnancy at a stage where the embryo or fetus is incapable of surviving independently, generally defined in humans at prior to 20 weeks of gestation...
s before the birth of her two children. In a highly publicized medical case, she lost a boy who was born four months premature at University of Utah Medical Center
University of Utah Medical Center
The University of Utah Hospital is a research and teaching hospital on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It serves as a major regional referral center for Utah and the surrounding states of Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Montana and New Mexico...
in 1998. Complications arose while the couple was attending a youth leadership conference in Deer Valley
Deer Valley
Deer Valley is an alpine ski resort in the Wasatch Range, located east of Salt Lake City, in Park City, Utah, United States. The resort, known for its upscale amenities, is consistently ranked among the top ski resorts in North America...
20 miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
. Jackson survived a three-hour surgical removal of a benign tumor from her neck on May 7, 2008. During the 2008 Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
holidays, the family suffered a fire and was force to spend the holiday season in a downtown hotel. In 2001, Jackson had a chili
Chili con carne
Chili con carne is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, "chili pepper with meat". Traditional versions are made, minimally, from chili peppers, garlic, onions, and cumin, along with chopped or ground beef. Beans and tomatoes are frequently included...
recipe published in "The Barking Gourmet," the St. Albans School
St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
St. Albans School is an independent college preparatory school for boys in grades 4–12, located in Washington, D.C. The school is named after Saint Alban, traditionally regarded as the first British martyr. Within the St...
family cookbook.
Early political experience
Early in Jackson's political career she served as press secretaryPress secretary
A press secretary or press officer is a senior advisor who provides advice on how to deal with the news media and, using news management techniques, helps their employer to maintain a positive public image and avoid negative media coverage....
for United States Congressman Mickey Leland
Mickey Leland
George Thomas "Mickey" Leland was an anti-poverty activist who later became a congressman from the Texas 18th District and chair of the Congressional Black Caucus...
. After the 1988 Democratic National Convention
1988 Democratic National Convention
The 1988 National Convention of the U.S. Democratic Party was held at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia from July 18–July 21, 1988 to select a candidate for the 1988 United States presidential election. At the convention Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts was nominated for President and...
, she began working for Michael Dukakis
Michael Dukakis
Michael Stanley Dukakis served as the 65th and 67th Governor of Massachusetts from 1975–1979 and from 1983–1991, and was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1988. He was born to Greek immigrants in Brookline, Massachusetts, also the birthplace of John F. Kennedy, and was the longest serving...
who had become the Democratic party's nominee for United States President in the 1988 United States presidential election
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
.
Jackson's political career prior to her election as 7th Ward Alderman included the following positions: Deputy Director of Training for the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
, Director of Scheduling Operations for Rev. Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
, Vice President of Congressional and External Affairs for the Export-Import Bank of the United States
Export-Import Bank of the United States
The Export-Import Bank of the United States is the official export credit agency of the United States federal government. It was established in 1934 by an executive order, and made an independent agency in the Executive branch by Congress in 1945, for the purposes of financing and insuring...
(appointed by Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
), Director of VIP Relations for the Presidential Inaugural Committee, National Outreach Coordinator for the Clinton/Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
96 Campaign, and campaign manager and chief political strategist for many other politicians.
While Jackson was serving as the Export-Import Bank's director of congressional affairs, she lobbied in opposition of her husband's proposal to tighten the restrictions on the activities in Africa of the Export-Import Bank. She did so successfully, as her husband's amendment failed.
Jackson considered running for public office during the 2003 Chicago municipal elections. At the time, Jackson, Jr. discouraged his wife from running for public office. However, he felt his wife should be eligible to run for Alderman, despite the controversy surrounding such a candidacy.
Campaign
John Stroger
John H. Stroger, Jr. was an American politician who served from 1994 until 2006 as the first African-American president of the Cook County, Illinois Board of Commissioners. Stroger was a member of the Democratic Party. He was also a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity...
, after Stroger was forced to resign following a stroke
Stroke
A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...
. Beavers requested that Mayor Daley appoint his daughter to replace him, in order for her to have the incumbency advantage in the February 27, 2007 municipal elections. The deal also allowed for Todd Stroger
Todd Stroger
Todd H. Stroger is the former president of the Cook County, Illinois Board and a former alderman for the 8th Ward in Chicago. Stroger is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2001, he was appointed to the Chicago City Council by Richard M. Daley...
to replace his father John as the president of the County Board and Beavers to surrender his ward seat after presiding over Mayor Daley's 2007 City Council budget hearings. In July 2007, when it first became public that Sandi Jackson was considering running for the 7th ward alderman seat, which would disrupt all the backroom dealings between the Strogers and the Beavers with Daley's approval, Jackson, Jr. encouraged her to run. In the November 2006 elections, William Beavers won the County Board seat while Stroger won the County Board President's office that had been part of the dealings. On December 5, 2006, Jackson officially filed paperwork with state election officials. On December 12, Mayor Daley appointed Darcel Beavers to succeed her father until the Spring municipal elections. Then, on December 18, which is the filing deadline for petitions, Jackson filed 5000 petition signatures to run for alderman.
Jackson carried numerous endorsements including The Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
and numerous labor unions. Jackson was not endorsed by the Cook County Democratic Organization
Cook County Democratic Organization
The Cook County Democratic Organization is one of the most powerful political machines in American history. Historically called the "Chicago Democratic machine", or simply the "Chicago Machine", the organization has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s...
.
The Jackson family (Sandi, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
Jesse Jackson
Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. is an African-American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as shadow senator for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to...
, and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.) have occasionally not seen eye to eye with Mayor Daley. In fact, Congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Jackson was considering contesting Daley for Mayor until the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
success in the 2006 fall elections made it clear he could be very productive by remaining in Congress because of his party's majority. Sandi Jackson, who is credited with encouraging Jackson, Jr. to run for Congress, had been supportive of the idea of him running for mayor. William Beavers had been a longtime Daley ally. However, Jackson says she has good relations with the Daleys, especially Bill Daley
William M. Daley
William Michael “Bill” Daley is an American lawyer and former banker and is the current White House Chief of Staff to President Barack Obama. He served as U.S...
.
Jackson took leave from her position as deputy political director of training for the Democratic National Committee to run and her husband bought up the billboard
Billboard
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s in the ward to post an image of the couple. Jackson, Jr. had acquired the rights to 1800 billboards in the city in preparation for his own possible mayoral candidacy. He relinquished the rights to all but those useful to his wife in her ward and a few candidates that he endorsed. Jackson, Jr. invested US$200,000 in his wife's campaign to pay for billboards, mailers, phone banks, a campaign manager and other professional staffers. William Beavers was unimpressed with the spending and had his employees remind voters that Jackson did not live in the Ward and his daughter did. William Beavers attempted to make Jackson's Washington residence an issue, and there was mudslinging in the public press between the Beavers and the Jacksons. Jackson campaigned for the 7th ward alderman position based on the issues of economy, education, and public safety. She also described the lakefront ward as prime commercial real estate ripe for development.
Results
- Beavers 4004 (33.50%)
- Ron David 951 (7.96%)
- Eric Brown 216 (1.81%)
- Jackson 6783 (56.74%)
Beavers was one of only four incumbents on the 50-member City Council to lose during the municipal elections. Five new alderman supported by organized labor and Jackson Jr. won seats.
Aldermanic career
The city of Chicago is divided into fifty wards that are each represented by an alderman in the Chicago City Council. The northern portion of Chicago's seventh ward is adjacent to the Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
lakefront, and the ward includes portions of the South Shore
South Shore, Chicago
South Shore is one of 77 well-defined community areas of the City of Chicago, Illinois in the United States. A predominately black neighborhood located along Chicago's southern lakefront, it is a relatively stable and gentrifying neighborhood...
, South Chicago
South Chicago, Chicago
South Chicago, formerly known as Ainsworth, is one of the 77 well-defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois.This chevron-shaped community is one of Chicago's 16 lakefront neighborhoods near the southern rim of Lake Michigan 10 miles south of downtown...
, Calumet Heights
Calumet Heights, Chicago
Calumet Heights, located on the South Side of the city, is one of the 77 well defined community areas of Chicago, Illinois. Calumet Heights is bounded by 87th Street on the north, South Chicago Avenue on the east, and railroad lines on the west and south . It includes the neighborhoods of Calumet...
, and South Deering
South Deering, Chicago
South Deering, one of the 77 official community areas of the City of Chicago, Illinois, is located on the far south side. It was a very industrial neighborhood, consisting of a small group of homes in the northeast corner and Lake Calumet taking up most of the remainder. It exists in the 10th Ward,...
community areas
Community areas of Chicago
Community areas in Chicago refers to the work of the Social Science Research Committee at University of Chicago which has unofficially divided the City of Chicago into 77 community areas. These areas are well-defined and static...
.
Jackson's aldermanic career began inauspiciously when she complained to the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
, one of Chicago's major daily newspapers, that she was caught off-guard by the need to pay office start-up expenses up front. This provided fodder for a columnist in the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
, the other major daily, and anonymous on-line commenters on the Chicago Sun-Times web site made light of the issue. At the time, Jackson was considered by one local political writer as the most closely watched of the nine newly elected aldermen that were sworn in on May 21, 2007 and by another as the "star" of the incoming class of nine freshman aldermen.
Her first political statement as an alderman was disappointment in Mayor Daley's decision to force his affordable housing ordinance through the council with nine lame duck
Lame duck (politics)
A lame duck is an elected official who is approaching the end of his or her tenure, and especially an official whose successor has already been elected.-Description:The status can be due to*having lost a re-election bid...
councilmen during the week before the new class was sworn in because new alderman would be "forced to live by" the new ordinance. Meanwhile her husband propounded a 10-point ethics reform that would give the city's inspector general power to investigate aldermen; reduce the number of City Council committees to 10; limit municipal campaign contributions for each election cycle; and strip the mayor of the authority to appoint replacements for aldermanic vacancies.
Upon assuming office, she stated that she would emphasize economic development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
as her primary goal for her ward. One of her goals has been to redevelop the 570 acres (2.31 km²) landfill
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
on the site of the former U.S. Steel
U.S. Steel
The United States Steel Corporation , more commonly known as U.S. Steel, is an integrated steel producer with major production operations in the United States, Canada, and Central Europe. The company is the world's tenth largest steel producer ranked by sales...
mill into a lakefront community.
A local political writer immediately looked for signs that the nine new councilmen who were supported by pro-labor forces would form a block against the pro-business Mayor and old guard members. Five of the new members were among eleven dissenters in a vote on mandatory public art purchase procedures during their first month on the job. In the fall of 2007, Jackson along with several other African-American alderman took issue with the allotment of contracts on the O'Hare Airport runway expansion project because African-American firms were only awarded 8% of the contracts and no general contractor
General contractor
A general contractor is responsible for the day-to-day oversight of a construction site, management of vendors and trades, and communication of information to involved parties throughout the course of a building project.-Description:...
roles. (Jackson's husband is a main proponent of the proposed Chicago south suburban airport
Proposed Chicago south suburban airport
Proposed Chicago south suburban airport, Abraham Lincoln National Airport or Lincoln National Airport is a proposed airport in Peotone, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. There is no official name and two separate plans exist, one known as the South Suburban Airport and another known as Abraham Lincoln...
in Peotone, Illinois
Peotone, Illinois
Peotone is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,385 at the 2000 census. The city is about south of Chicago...
). Jackson voted with the minority in the 29-21 vote approving the Mayor's November 2007 property tax
Property tax
A property tax is an ad valorem levy on the value of property that the owner is required to pay. The tax is levied by the governing authority of the jurisdiction in which the property is located; it may be paid to a national government, a federated state or a municipality...
increase. The February 2008 Real Estate Transfer Tax Increase also drew opposition from Jackson and a small minority of aldermen.
Jackson was among the co-sponsors of a council resolution in opposition of U.S. military attacks against Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
There has been international press covering the City Council's deliberations regarding Grant Park
Grant Park (Chicago)
Grant Park, with between the downtown Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan, offers many different attractions in its large open space. The park is generally flat. It is also crossed by large boulevards and even a bed of sunken railroad tracks...
and the Chicago Children's Museum
Chicago Children's Museum
The Chicago Children's Museum is located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. It was founded in 1982 by The Junior League of Chicago who were responding to programming cutbacks in the Chicago Public Schools...
. Mayor Daley has propounded a controversial proposal to relocate the Chicago Children's Museum from Navy Pier
Navy Pier
Navy Pier is a long pier on the Chicago shoreline of Lake Michigan. It is located in the Streeterville neighborhood of the Near North Side community area. The pier was built in 1916 at a cost of $4.5 million, equivalent to $ today. It was a part of the Plan of Chicago developed by architect and...
to a City park, Grant Park that passed 33–16, with Jackson in the minority.
Jackson called attention to American Airlines
American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is the world's fourth-largest airline in passenger miles transported and operating revenues. American Airlines is a subsidiary of the AMR Corporation and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas adjacent to its largest hub at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport...
' newly imposed luggage
Luggage
Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers which hold a traveller's articles during transit.Luggage is more or less the same concept as "baggage", but is normally used in relation to the personal luggage of a specific person or persons Baggage is any number of bags, cases and containers...
handling fees for even the first checked bag. She claimed that the fees were contrary to Section 26-04 of the Airport Use Agreement with the City of Chicago, which is the contract that permits American Airlines to be a carrier in Chicago airports. The initial plan exempted Platinum and Executive card holders who were generally business travelers and placed an inordinate burden of new fees on the common traveler in contravention of the non-discriminatory price agreement in the agreement. She expressed interest in a City Council forum on the issue. She wrote directly to American Airlines and then wrote an article in the Chicago Sun-Times on the issue.
Jackson was among the councilman and citizens who expressed outrage at the light punishment issued by the mayor's office over a multi-million dollar city contract scheme. Jackson viewed it as a moral issue where the Mayor did not appropriately condemn immoral activity, which in her eyes encourages similar behavior. During a Summer 2008 violent crime
Violent crime
A violent crime or crime of violence is a crime in which the offender uses or threatens to use violent force upon the victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, as well as crimes in which violence is the means to an end, such as robbery. Violent...
rash she was among the aldermen calling for refocussed emphasis on adequate police support.
She continues to tout a plan to redevelop the USX steel mill as an effort to revitalize her ward. She foresees 17,000 new residences, a high-end mall, and significant amounts of parkland with construction beginning in 2009. By the beginning of her second year on the 50-person city council, Jackson had already amassed the 17th largest pool of campaign funds.
She has been vocal in pursuit of transparency on the issue of whether Mayor Daley should transfer the monitoring of city hiring to Inspector General David Hoffman and has voted against the mayors proposal to create a separate Office of Compliance. Her voting record earned her praise from the Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization
Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization
The Independent Voters of Illinois-Independent Precinct Organization is an independent, not-for-profit, Illinois political organization. Often referred to by its acronym, IVI-IPO, has roots dating to 1944, when the Independent Voters of Illinois was founded. In 1979 the IVI merged with the...
. A year and a half into Jackson's first term, local political commentator Don Rose writing in the Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
included Jackson among four aldermen he considered to be inheriting a mantel of reform.
In 2001, the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
ruled that Jackson, Jr. could hire his wife on his campaign payroll. The ruling stated that relatives can be employed as long as they were compensated "no more than the fair market value" for their services. At the time, Sandi Jackson was employed by the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
(DNC) as the deputy director of training. Many other lawmakers have made similar arrangements without contacting the FEC for a ruling. When House Majority Leader
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives
Party leaders of the United States House of Representatives are elected by their respective parties in a closed-door caucus by secret ballot and are also known as floor leaders. The U.S. House of Representatives does not officially use the term "Minority Leader", although the media frequently does...
Tom Delay
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale "Tom" DeLay is a former member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1984 until 2006. He was Republican Party House Majority Leader from 2003 to 2005, when he resigned because of criminal money laundering charges in...
was charged with ethical infractions, matters such as these came to light. Jackson remained on the payroll of her husband's main campaign fund, Jesse Jackson Jr. for Congress, in 2006 as she considered a run for public office. She also continued to be employed by the Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
of the DNC.
US Representative Jesse Jackson Jr.’s congressional campaign organization has paid his wife Sandra Jackson at least $247,500 between 2001 and early 2009, including at least $95,000 after Sandra Jackson joined the Chicago City Council two years ago, according to federal election records. Sandra Jackson received the $95,000 for political consulting after pledging during her campaign to give “my full attention” to the alderman’s post. From 2003 through mid-2005, the recipient is shown on Jackson’s reports as “Lee Stevens” or “Lee Steven” at the J. Donatella firm. Sandi Jackson’s middle name is Lee. Her maiden name is Stevens. In addition to payments to Sandra for consulting work, Jackson’s political committee also gave at least $298,927 in cash and in-kind contributions to Sandra Jackson’s campaign fund, the “Friends of Sandi Jackson.” Jesse Jackson’s political committee has transferred more than $227,000 to Sandi Jackson’s campaign organization since October 2006, according to his campaign reports. He provided in-kind benefits of $71,914, including billboard space worth about $66,000. The congressman got some reciprocal benefit when the “Friends of Sandi Jackson” bankrolled a Zogby International poll that showed Jesse Jackson atop a list of 10 possible contenders to replace Obama in the Senate. Sandi Jackson’s campaign reports show almost $26,000 paid to Utica, New York-based Zogby two days before polling began.
Jackson received a $4,000 digital radio
Digital radio
Digital radio has several meanings:1. Today the most common meaning is digital radio broadcasting technologies, such as the digital audio broadcasting system, also known as Eureka 147. In these systems, the analog audio signal is digitized into zeros and ones, compressed using formats such as...
from Chicago's Office of Emergency Management and Communications (Chicago's 911 Center) to monitor snow removal
Snow removal
Snow removal is the job of removing snow after a snowfall to make travel easier and safer. This is done by both individual households and by governments and institutions.-De-icing and anti-icing:...
and emergency operations in her ward. The radio was returned when the controversy that arose led to a personnel reshuffling that included the reassignment of a high ranking Hispanic city employee.
When Congressman Bobby Rush
Bobby Rush
Bobby Lee Rush is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party.The district is located principally on the South Side of Chicago. It is a minority-majority district and has a higher percentage of African Americans than any other congressional district in...
was battling cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and other publications mentioned Jackson as a potential future candidate for the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in Illinois's 1st congressional district. Responding to resignation requests, Rush noted that he would be returning to his congressional duties following post-operative treatment. When he returned to full health he noted his disappointment in the premature consideration of his replacement. The issue led to a public reconciliation initiated by Jackson, Jr. at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
2008 Democratic National Convention
The United States 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for President and Vice President of the United States. The convention was held in Denver,...
, termed a "hugfest" by the press. While considering the possibility of Jackson, Jr. being appointed to fill Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
's United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat, the Chicago Sun-Times mentioned her as a possible candidate for Jackson, Jr.'s Illinois's 2nd congressional district
Illinois's 2nd congressional district
Illinois's 2nd congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook and Will counties, the district includes the south suburbs of Chicago, extending slightly into Will County, and also includes the city's far southeast side; it covers , making it one of...
seat.
During the Rod Blagojevich corruption scandal, Jackson's name was mentioned in the pay-to-play activities of then-Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
. Allegedly, the governor had considered her for the state lottery director and then asked for contributions from her husband Congressman Jackson. After the Congressman Jackson did not make a contribution, she was not selected and Blagojevich made the causality of the non-contribution in the matter.
In 2008, her second year as alderman, Jackson directed more than $32,000 in payments from her aldermanic expense account to her American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
account. Jackson said she used an AmEx account to launch her office during her freshman term. Jackson was among aldermen who attended the International Council of Shopping Centers, held in Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, to seek new development for their wards.
Non-Aldermanic work
In October 2007, Jackson filed to pursue William Beavers' 7th ward Democratic CommitteemanCommitteemen and Committeewomen (Cook County)
Ward Committeemen and Township Committeemen are political party officials who serve many standard committeemen and committeewomen duties on behalf of their political party in Cook County, Illinois....
post. Among other duties, committeemen determine appointments for vacated political posts in and including their ward. Two days later, Beavers filed to run to retain his position. In the race for the local post, her husband requested permission from the Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
to use his campaign funds in support of her local race. The commission voted in favor of allowing unlimited contributions to his wife's candidacy from his $827,000 fund. On February 5, 2008, Sandi Jackson defeated rival William Beavers in the election for 7th Ward Democratic Committeemen by 77.5%–22.5%., a 3–1 margin over Beavers.
Jackson has also been a long-time political consultant through her solely owned consulting firm J. Donatella & Associates. She has run and advised on several Democratic campaigns including her husband's Congressional races. She continued to be active in this arena while serving as an alderman. She has served as a campaign manager and chief political strategist for Robin Kelly
Robin Kelly
Robin Kelly has served as chief of staff for the Illinois Treasurer's Office since 2007. She was the 2010 Democratic nominee for Illinois Treasurer.-Early life, education and career:...
, David Miller
David E. Miller
David E. Miller is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 29th District since 2001, after winning election by only 29 votes. The 29th district since 2002 includes parts of Burnham, Calumet City, Chicago, Dolton, Ford Heights, Glenwood, Harvey, Homewood,...
, William Davis
William Davis (politician)
William “Will” Quincy Davis is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 30th District since 2002.-Background:...
and James Meeks
James Meeks
James T. Meeks is a Democratic member of the Illinois Senate, representing the 15th district since 2003. He is also an active Baptist minister in Chicago and chairs the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus...
.