Jesse Jackson Jr. wins re-election
(CNN) - Despite a lengthy absence from Capitol Hill due to illness, Democratic Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. will easily hold on to his Illinois seat, CNN projects.
Jackson handily defeated GOP contender Brian Woodworth, an attorney and university professor. Woodworth had criticized Jackson during the campaign for leaving the district unrepresented.
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The nine-term congressman has been away from Congress and largely out of the public eye since May. His office said in June he was taking a leave of absence, and the Mayo Clinic disclosed in August that he was suffering from depression.
Jackson is being investigated in separate cases for possible financial and ethical improprieties.
The FBI and federal prosecutors in Washington are investigating Jackson for possible financial improprieties, according to a law enforcement official.
The House Ethics Committee is looking into allegations that in 2008 Jackson or one of his associates offered to raise money for then-Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich in exchange for Jackson being appointed to the Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama.
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- Untitled
Thank you God. I'm not saying anything else.
well, there you go – more crooked politics from the state of Chicago. Chicago should be ashamed of itself.
unreal that this clown gets re-elected
It's God's Will.
Now we know how it feels to fall off the cliff.
A man in rehab gets reelected. What more need be said?
Mindlessness. Sheer mindlessness. If these are our voters, democracy is a bad idea.
Just shows you how this country has degenerated regarding its basic principles for public office. May God forgive us
More power to that district. If they really want no representation, they got it.
i guess it just shows that voters are not very informed. Just relate this win to the Obama campaign. Getting votes just because....
Absolutley rediculous and a disgrace to the democratic process. If Jackson had even a shred of decency or ethics, he would not accept. SHAME ON THE CHICAGO VOTERS..SHAME ON YOU.
Marion Barry and Jessie Jackson Jr. 2016 !
WOW. There should probably be a law enacted that prohibits squatting in your role. What a JOKE! If the man is that seriously ill, (especially with a MENTAL ILLNESS) he has no place governing anything.
He's being indicted for ethics violations. Spending campaign money on decorating his house in Washington. It's such a joke he was elected. But give it time. The investigation has him dead to rights. That's why he's hiding in mayo clinic.
The only thing that is making him ill is the fact that he is going to be in jail with his buddy Blogo. There is nothing wrong with him(except he is a criminal). It makes me mad that I live in Chicago when things like this happen. The funny thing is that he won handily. Goes to show you how the voters in Chicago think. They just see D and vote for them no matter what.
He shouldn't have ran for reelection- in his district only a democrat can win, and he could run again in two years after handling his health issues and legal issues.
I have a chronic mental illness, and wouldn't have the luxury of months of inpatient treatment (average inpatient stay is 3-7 days, even in cases of suicide attempts), nevermind keeping my job after 12 weeks of FMLA.