Local state Sen. Robert Peters (D-13th) picked up a major endorsement from Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle last week in his bid for Illinois’ Second Congressional District, but the race remains far from settled.

Former U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., who held the seat for 17 years before his federal indictment for extensive campaign finance crimes, is signaling plans for a political comeback right on the heels of the Tribune saying voters — not the media — should decide whether he’s fit for a return to public office.

Peters, a progressive Democrat, launched his campaign in May after Rep. Robin Kelly announced her run for Dick Durbin’s Senate seat. As of late July, he is out to an early fundraising lead, bringing in more than $415,000 and spending about $40,000, according to the latest filings with the Federal Election Commission. It’s more than the other six candidates combined — a margin that could prove decisive. In the last two congressional election cycles, the candidate who raised the most money won their race more than 90% of the time, according to OpenSecrets.

The Cook County Democratic Party declined to endorse a candidate in the primary after a mid-July meeting. But Preckwinkle, who chairs the party and remains one of its most influential figures, has thrown her weight behind Peters anyway.

“Robert Peters has been one of my most trusted partners in the state legislature,” Preckwinkle said in a statement. “There is no stronger advocate for working people, for social justice and for economic fairness than Robert. I’ve watched him grow from a hard-working young organizer to an accomplished state legislator. All the while, he’s never shied away from the tough conversations necessary to build the coalitions needed to win difficult fights.”

Peters has served in the Illinois State Senate since 2019. He was appointed to that position with Preckwinkle’s backing following Kwame Roaul’s election as attorney general, leaving the seat vacant. Peters has since emerged as a leading voice on criminal justice reform, sponsoring and advancing a steady stream of legislation. His most notable achievement was co-sponsoring the 2021 Safety, Accountability, Fairness and Equity-Today (SAFE-T) Act, a sweeping public safety bill that abolished cash bail and introduced major changes to policing across the state.

Peters called Preckwinkle a mentor in a statement and said he expects her support to carry weight.

“I know she will continue to be a trusted ally as I campaign throughout the 2nd District and as I take on the big fights in Congress,” Peters said, referencing recent federal cuts to Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The district, which stretches from Chicago’s 43rd Street south along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Indiana border all the way to Danville in Vermilion County, has long been a Democratic Party bastion.

Among the politicians to represent the district is Jackson, who held the seat from 1995 until he resigned in 2012. During his time in office, Jackson was known for never missing a floor vote. He supported former President Barack Obama’s signature policies, including the Affordable Care Act and the 2009 stimulus package. Jackson was also a champion of designating the Pullman industrial site as a National Park, which Obama eventually did in 2015.

Jackson resigned while under federal investigation and later pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud his campaign of about $750,000 in funds used for personal expenses. The money paid for everything from high-end electronics and home renovations to a Michael Jackson autographed guitar and mink capes. Jackson also admitted to filing false reports with the Federal Election Commission and the House of Representatives in an effort to conceal the scheme. His wife, former Chicago alderwoman Sandra Stevens Jackson, pleaded guilty to filing false tax returns and failing to report nearly $570,000 in income. Both were sentenced in federal court.

Still, the Jackson name carries weight in the area. His father is Rev. Jesse Jackson, the famed Civil Rights leader, two-time U.S. presidential candidate and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, headquartered in Kenwood. And his brother, Jonathan Jackson, already represents the mid-South Side in the House of Representatives. Jonathan Jackson won Illinois’ First District out of a crowded Democratic primary field after longtime Rep. Bobby Rush retired, before cruising to victory in the 2022 midterm election and reelection in 2024.

Jackson began hosting a radio talk show for WVON in January while making a case to the Biden White House that they should extend him and other ex-felons who’d completed their sentences pardons so that they could encounter fewer difficulties in applying for and getting jobs. That request was not granted. After forming an exploratory committee earlier this year, Jackson told the Tribune in a statement in mid-July that it’s his “intention to secure a place on the ballot.”

Jackson did not respond to the Herald’s questions as to whether he planned to formally announce his entry into the race soon or if he had set up a campaign financing arm, as of press time.

Peters, meanwhile, has consolidated support from across the progressive wings of the Democratic Party and some labor unions. In addition to Preckwinkle, he has the endorsements of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and several members of the Illinois Black Caucus. Local alders Lamont Robinson (4th), Desmon Yancy (5th) and Jeanette Taylor (20th) have all backed him, as have local pastors Byron Brazier, Stephen Thurston II and Ciera Bates-Chamberlain.

The 2nd District, which has more than 720,000 residents, has not elected a Republican since 1951, which means the winner of the March 17 Democratic Party primary is likely to win easily in the general election in November 2026. Petition season begins August 5, when candidates can officially begin gathering signatures to get their names on the ballot.

Other Democratic candidates who have filed paperwork to run include Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Commissioner Yumeka Brown, Cook County Commissioner Donna Miller, nonprofit leader Adal Regis, Illinois state Sen. Willie Preston (D-16th), management consultant Eric France and former Miller aide Jeremy Young.