Sandi Jackson

Infobox_Politician

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imagesize = 150px
name = Sandi Jackson
birth_date =birth date and age|1963|9|14
birth_place =city-state|Kittery|Maine
width =
height =
caption = City of Chicago Alderman, Democratic Committeeman
residence = Chicago, Illinois
office = City of Chicago Alderman
term_start = May 212007
term_end = Present
predecessor = Darcel A. Beavers
successor = Incumbent
constituency = 7th ward
party = Democrat
religion =
spouse = Jesse Jackson, Jr.
children = Jessica Donatella
Jesse Louis III ("Tre")
website = [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1110699867.1148670927@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdaddhkmfejjecefecelldffhdfhg.0&entityName=Ward7&entityNameEnumValue=50&topChannelName=Ward City of Chicago 7th Ward]

Sandra "Sandi" Jackson (Née Stevens, formerly Sandra Lee Stevens),cite web|url=http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/May-2005/What-Does-Junior-Want/|title=What Does Junior Want?|accessdate=2008-04-24|date=May 2005|publisher=Chicago Magazine|author=Rhodes, Steve] born on September 14, 1963 at Kittery, Maine, was elected to the Chicago City Council as an alderman of the 7th ward ( [http://www.chicityclerk.com/citycouncil/alderman/ward7/index.html map] ) in the 2007 municipal elections held on February 272007. She is the wife of U.S. Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.. She is considered the most closely watched of the nine newly elected aldermen that were sworn in on May 21 2007. [cite web|url=http://cbs2chicago.com/local/local_story_141201333.html|accessdate=2007-09-24|date=2007-05-21|title=Chicago City Council Swears In 50 Aldermen|publisher=CBS Broadcasting, Inc.|author=Flannery, Mike] 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.

On February 5, 2008, Sandi Jackson defeated rival William Beavers in election for 7th Ward Democratic Committeeman by a 77.5%–22.5%. [cite web|url=http://www.chicagoelections.com/pctlevel3.asp?Ward=7&elec_code=45&race_number=124|title=Results|publisher=chicagoelections.com|accessdate=2008-02-26] [cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/779278,CST-NWS-ward06.article|title='Wow!' Sandi Jackson scores another big win|accessdate=2008-02-26|date=2008-02-26|publisher=Digital Chicago, Inc.|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Patterson, Steve]

2007 election

Issues

Jackson campaigned on the issues of economy, education, and public safety. She carried numerous endorsements including The Chicago Tribune, Barack Obama, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, numerous labor unions and Illinois politicians.

Results

*Jackson 6783 (56.74%) [cite web|url=http://www.chicagoelections.com/wdlevel3.asp?elec_code=65|accessdate=March 9|accessyear=2007|publisher=Chicago Board of Elections Commission|year=2007|title=February, 2007 Municipal -- Alderman 7th Ward]
*Beavers 4004 (33.50%)
*Ron David 951 (7.96%)
*Eric Brown 216 (1.81%)

Political career

Early in Sandi's political career she served as press secretary 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 and White, "Born Into The Struggle To Vote," pp. 36-7]

The Jackson family (Sandi, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., and Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.) have occasionally not seen eye to eye with Mayor Daley.cite web|publisher=New York Times|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/us/28daley.html?ex=1330318800&en=56206e326ca703ad&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss|accessdate=March 10|accessyear=2007|title=Daley Easily Wins Re-election in Chicago|author=Saulny, Susan|date=2006-02-28] 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. William Beavers had been a longtime Daley ally. However, Sandi says she has good relations with the Daleys, especially Bill Daley.cite web|url=http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/177773,CST-NWS-JACKSON19.article|title= Jesse Jr.'s wife running for alderman: 'Change is in the air' says 7th Ward hopeful |accessdate=2008-04-25|date=2006-12-19|publisher=Digital Chicago, Inc.|work=Chicago Sun-Times|author=Zimmermann, Stephanie] Jackson's polital career has included the following positions:

Sandi Jackson was no stranger to the political world prior to her election as 7th Ward Alderman.Jackson's polital career has 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
*Campaign manager and chief political strategist, Robin Kelly, David Miller, William Davis and James Meeks

On the Chicago City Council, she is viewed as an independent because she was not a product of the Cook County Democratic Machine.cite news|title=Focus: Women to Watch: Sandi Jackson|author=Klein, Sarah A.|date=2008-05-05|publisher=Crain Communications, Inc.|work=ChicagoBusiness|page=31] As an independent, 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. She continues to tout a plan to redevelop the USX steel mill as an effort to revitalize her ward.

Personal life

Sandi grew up in city-state|Akron|Ohio. She 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. The couple married on June 11991. 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. 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. [cite web|url=http://runsandirun.blogspot.com/2006/12/halloween-open-house.html|title=Let's Take the Power Into Our Own Hands!!!|accessdate=2008-04-25|date=2006-12-20]

Education

*Bowling Green State University, Bachelor’s Degree, 1985
*University of Illinois College of Law, Juris Doctor, 1992

Notes

References

Jackson, Jesse L., Jr., with Frank E. Watkins, "A More Perfect Union: Advancing New American Rights.., ISBN 1-56649-186-X, Welcome Rain Publishers: New York, 2001.

External links

* [http://www.runsandirun.com Official website]
* [http://egov.cityofchicago.org/city/webportal/portalEntityHomeAction.do?BV_SessionID=@@@@1110699867.1148670927@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccdaddhkmfejjecefecelldffhdfhg.0&entityName=Ward7&entityNameEnumValue=50&topChannelName=Ward City of Chicago 7th Ward]