Jackson Jr.'s brother won't run for his old House seat

Jonathan Jackson, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr.'s (D-Ill.) brother, won't run for the House seat left open by Jackson Jr.'s resignation.

"It's not for me, and certainly elected office is not for me at this time," Jonathan Jackson said.

The professor and activist, who has a leading role in Jesse Jackson Sr.'s Rainbow PUSH Coalition, said that the seat is "Not a Jackson property, it was not his property. It’s now back into the hands of the people the way that the seat should go," and disputed that Democratic leaders had quietly pushed his wife, Chicago Alderwoman Sandi Jackson (D), to run for the seat. She ruled out a run last week.

"There was no backroom deals to try to put someone on the ballot," Jonathan Jackson said.

The field for Jackson's seat is already crowded: Former Rep. Debbie Halvorson (D-Ill.) is just one of a half-dozen Democrats running for the heavily Democratic seat. The primary will take place in late February.

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