Chicago politics have been pretty weird, from the near-kingdom of old Mayor Richard Daley to the insanity of the Harold Washington and Jane Byrne years to the return of a Daley to the Mayor's office. What a long, strange trip it's been . . . and it is about to get a lot stranger.
Jesse Jackson, Jr., current congressman and son of the famous shakedown artist, is likely going to challenge for the seat, reports Deanna Bellandi of the Associated Press:
The 41-year-old son of civil rights leader the Rev. Jesse Jackson said he would make up his mind after the November congressional election. He is up for re-election to the seat he has held for 11 years.
Daley is seen by some as politically vulnerable because of federal investigations into allegations of illegal political patronage and payoffs at City Hall. The mayor, who was first elected in 1989, has not been accused of any wrongdoing."The taxpayers are ... footing the bill for waste, fraud and abuse," Jackson said outside his home on the South Side.
To help him make his decision, Jackson said he would embark on a "listening tour" to hear from voters.
Read all about it at the link above.
No word on whether his famous father may campaign for him.
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Democrats, General politics, Illinois
