Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. resigned from Congress on Nov. 21, citing his struggle with bipolar disorder as the reason for his absence from the 2nd District seat in Illinois and subsequent decision to step down.
His choice is unsurprising given his record of 225 missed votes in the House this year due to health issues and the FBI investigation into his use of campaign funds. The FBI is investigating whether Jackson used the funds to furnish his home in Washington, D.C.
A heavily Democratic Chicago, however, still elected Jackson with 63 percent of the vote, despite a lack of campaigning.
Politically, Jackson’s candidacy was justifiable. By the time it became apparent that he would have to step down, Election Day was fast-approaching, and the Democratic Party would have had to scramble to find a suitable replacement candidate. By keeping himself in the race, he essentially became a placeholder and guaranteed a Democrat would maintain his seat.
As a political move, it was smart, but as a public servant, the move was dishonorable. His investigation and his health together should have been a clue for him to know that running would be dishonest to his constituents. Even at that, his constituency may barely notice — so long as the replacement is a Democrat, that’s all that matters.
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Certainly Jackson had his reasons for waiting until after the election to step down, but this political move will now require special primary and general elections to replace him.
The estimated cost is $5.15 million in taxpayer dollars, a pricetag that hits home in a state where budget deficits and financial problems have yet to be solved and still trickle their way down to the University, directly affecting day-to-day operations.
Certainly, it’s discouraging that someone who is under federal investigation, has been absent from Congress since June 8 and did not campaign can be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Voters did not know he would resign, so to elect someone who has a public record of scandal and inability to fulfill the duties of his office is to miss the point of holding elections.
The people are responsible for holding their government accountable, and while it is a person’s right to vote straight ticket, consideration needs to be given to whether a candidate will be able to serve his or her constituents. Our representatives need to know that their constituents have expectations of them and that to be elected is an honor and a privilege, not guaranteed by party affiliation.
