Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. suffered a decisive defeat Tuesday night, ending his attempted political comeback years after serving prison time for campaign finance crimes.
Jackson Jr., who once held Illinois’s 2nd Congressional District for nearly two decades, lost the Democratic primary by a wide margin to Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller.
With 92.4% of the vote counted, Miller secured 40.4% compared to Jackson Jr.’s 29%, according to NBC News.
The loss marks a rejection from voters in a district he represented from 1995 to 2012 before abruptly resigning.
The comeback falls short.
Donna Miller defeats Jesse Jackson Jr., who sought a return to Congress after serving a year in prison, emerging from a crowded field with help from AIPAC-aligned spending to win this deep-blue South Side seat. https://t.co/gxsuud84Eu
— Zachary Donnini (@ZacharyDonnini) March 18, 2026
Jackson Jr., now 60, had pleaded guilty in 2013 to conspiring to misuse campaign funds.
Prosecutors said he spent roughly $750,000 in campaign money on personal luxury items.
Those purchases included Rolex watches, high-end electronics and memorabilia tied to Michael Jackson.
He also filed misleading financial reports for years to conceal the spending. The former congressman served 17 months in federal prison as part of a 30-month sentence.
Jackson Jr. launched his comeback campaign earlier this year. He tied his return to politics to the legacy of his father, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
The announcement came on his father’s 84th birthday, just months before the elder Jackson’s death.
Jackson Jr. framed his campaign as unfinished business. He pledged to expand the Affordable Care Act to include dental, vision and hearing coverage.
He also issued a public apology during the campaign. “‘If in my low moments in word, deed, or attitude’ — and, I might add, judgment — ‘through some error of temper, taste or tone, I’ve caused anyone discomfort, created pain or revived someone’s fears, that was not my truest self… please, forgive me,’” Jackson Jr. said.
Voters ultimately chose a different path. Miller’s win positions her as the likely next representative in a safely Democratic district.
The seat opened after Rep. Robin Kelly left to pursue a Senate bid. Kelly finished third in that statewide race, clearing the path for a new face in the House contest.
The primary also drew heavy outside spending. Political action committees tied to cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence poured money into the race. Jackson Jr. alone accepted more than $1 million from AI-linked donors.
Elsewhere in Illinois, another closely watched Democratic primary reshaped the political landscape in a deep-blue district.
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Evanston Mayor Daniel Biss defeated former social media influencer Kat Abughazaleh in a crowded race for the 9th Congressional District.
With 92.7% of the vote counted, Biss led with 29.4% compared to Abughazaleh’s 26.1%.
The district strongly favors Democrats, making Biss the heavy favorite in November. Vice President Kamala Harris carried the district by 37 points in 2024.
Biss is set to succeed longtime Rep. Jan Schakowsky, who is retiring after more than two decades in Congress.
Abughazaleh ran on a far-left platform. She promoted abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.
Her campaign gained late momentum. Reps. Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib endorsed her just days before the primary.
Despite the surge, her campaign faced significant controversy. A grand jury indicted Abughazaleh in October 2025 alongside five others.
Illinois Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh calls to throw ICE agents in prison and wants mass amnesty and citizenship for millions of illegals.
This was the Democrats’ plan all along. To import millions of new voters
They’re just openly admitting it now. pic.twitter.com/opYJHLjLxs
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 26, 2026
Prosecutors alleged the group blocked law enforcement vehicles outside an ICE facility.
Biss entered the race with a more traditional political resume. He previously served in both chambers of the Illinois legislature and later became mayor of Evanston.
He also ran for governor in 2018, finishing second in the Democratic primary. His campaign faced its own controversy just days before the election.
A former student accused Biss of engaging in an inappropriate relationship while he was teaching at the University of Chicago.
Megan Wachspress, now a Stanford lecturer, described the relationship in public posts.
“It took becoming a professor myself to realize the implications – what it means to be attracted to someone who categorically has less power than you,” she wrote.
Evanston, IL, Mayor Daniel Biss (D), who has joined anti-ICE riots that attempted to obstruct ICE, is now SCOLDING Border Patrol officers for coming to arrest criminal illegal aliens.
Democrats love protecting foreign criminalspic.twitter.com/FUreWI4vwr
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) December 17, 2025
“I don’t know if it’s disqualifying, but there are too many women not getting a platform as a result of behavior like this for me not to say something.”
Biss’s campaign acknowledged the relationship. A spokesperson said it occurred after the class ended and lasted only a few weeks.
“After the course ended, Daniel and Dr. Wachspress went on a handful of dates over the course of a few weeks,” the campaign stated.
“Daniel realized then, as he does now, that it was ill-advised, and he ended it.”
Wachspress provided additional details about the relationship. She described a brief period of continued interaction after the initial dating ended.
“He offered an apology, of sorts, and then pivoted to the type of conversation you’d have with a friend with whom you’ve lost touch,” she wrote.
The Illinois Senate primary also delivered a major result for the state’s Democratic leadership.
Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton secured the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
Stratton won 40.1% of the vote, ahead of Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi’s 33.2% with 92.3% counted.
Gov. JB Pritzker played a central role in her victory. He endorsed Stratton early and backed her campaign with at least $5 million of his own money.
The race became a test of Pritzker’s influence as he eyes a potential national political future.
Stratton now enters the general election as the clear favorite in heavily Democratic Illinois.
If elected, Stratton would become the second Black woman to represent Illinois in the Senate.
Her campaign drew attention for a provocative advertisement. The ad opened with three supporters delivering a profane message.
“F**k [President Donad] Trump, vote Juliana,” they said in rapid succession. “They said it, not me,” Stratton responded in the ad.
The campaign also faced controversy over a disputed endorsement. Stratton initially claimed support from the late Rev. Jesse Jackson. His family later rejected the claim and withdrew the endorsement.
