Jesse Jackson family disputes posthumous Juliana Stratton endorsement in Senate primary

The family of Rev. Jesse Jackson is disputing an eyebrow-raising posthumous announcement of an endorsement of Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton for U.S. Senate, saying on Monday that his primary choices were not finalized before his death last month.

Stratton’s campaign on Saturday released a brief statement that said the Jackson family had announced “he had personally endorsed” Stratton, with Jackson making his final endorsements “before his passing in February.” It also said Yusef Jackson, one of Jackson’s sons, also endorsed Stratton.

The Stratton statement featured a picture of Stratton with Jackson, and the campaign quoted Pastor Stephen J. Thurston, a close family friend of the Jacksons, saying the civil rights leader saw in Stratton an “unrelenting commitment to the people of Illinois.”

But on Monday morning, Yusef Jackson took back the endorsement, writing that while his father had begun reviewing primary candidates, as he has done in previous cycles, he never finalized his picks before his death.

“Out of respect for my father, we decided not to publicly release his intended selections given the process had not been finalized,” Yusef Jackson said. “Unfortunately, this weekend, a draft sample ballot that was in development was released without authorization. It is important to note that the Jackson Family does not issue political endorsements, nor do Rainbow PUSH or the Rainbow PUSH Coalition.”

Stratton’s campaign said the endorsement came after the lieutenant governor spoke on Saturday at a Rainbow PUSH women’s history month event, and officials told her she received the endorsement.

“Organizers shared the sample election ballot that was already being distributed and encouraged her to share the news,” the campaign said in a statement.

The campaign also shared the sample ballot that was distributed to people at the event which showed Stratton as their pick for the Senate seat. The pamphlet said it featured the “personal endorsements” of Jesse Jackson and Yusef Jackson.

Pamphlets that were handed out to people at a Rainbow PUSH event on Monday that claimed Jackson had personally endorsed candidates, including Stratton.

Pamphlet that claimed Jackson endorsed Stratton before his death.

Yusef Jackson released a lengthier statement on Monday evening, writing that “the unintentional error has set off unforeseen controversy,” and one that is impacting “one candidate in particular.” He framed the walk back of the endorsement as “not confirming nor issuing political endorsements in this cycle.”

Jesse Jackson died at age 84 on Feb. 17. He had been in declining health for a decade. In 2017 he announced he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease two years earlier, but last April he revealed that it was actually misdiagnosed progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare neurological disorder. He stepped down as president of PUSH in July 2023, citing health concerns.

Both Stratton and Senate contender Rep. Robin Kelly are also using past endorsements from former President Barack Obama in ads for the Senate race, raising more eyebrows — and showing the race may be tightening. The other front-runner in Tuesday’s Democratic primary to replace retiring longtime Sen. Dick Durbin is U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, who has spent more than $25 million on ads that began airing in July.

Also on the Democratic primary ballot are: Steve Botsford Jr., Sean Brown, Awisi A. Bustos, Jonathan Dean, Bryan Maxwell, Kevin Ryan and Christopher Swann. In the Republican primary, candidates include R. Cary Capparelli, Casey Chlebek, Jeannie Evans, Pamela Denise Long, Jimmie Lee Tillman II and Don Tracy.