Sandi Jackson's Resignation Takes Effect Today
Updated 01/15/13 - 4:27 p.m.
CHICAGO (CBS) -- South Side Ald. Sandi Jackson's resignation takes effect on Tuesday.
Ald. Jackson Resignation Official
She's stepping down to handle family responsibilities as her husband, former congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., deals with a mental disorder and a federal campaign finance investigation.
Rev. Jesse Jackson told CBS 2 on Tuesday that he son is going to therapy every day and "has his good days and bad days."
"All of us are involved in prayer," he said.
"When something like this happens, your whole family is invested in one way or another. It is for them, and for all of us, a time of spiritual challenge."
WBBM Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports Ald. Leslie Hairston (5th) said she believes Jackson is doing the right thing for her family and for her constituents by giving up her seat in the 7th Ward.
Hairston says she knows Sandi Jackson has gone through a whirlwind in recent months
Hairston says Jackson has some good programs for her community underway, giving the new alderman a good foundation.
The Jackson family trauma started back in June when her husband was diagnosed as manic-depressive.
Mounting legal problems made it more difficult for the couple. She began missing City Council meetings as she took care of her family in Washington.
In her resignation letter to Emanuel, she said she was stepping down in part because "while dealing with very painful family health matters, the constituents of the 7th Ward deserve a partner who can commit all of their energies to the business of the people."
CBS 2's Dorothy Tucker reports community activist Carlos Maxwell is among the 7th Ward residents who want to replace Jackson in the City Council. He spent Tuesday afternoon introducing himself to customers at L & G Restaurant, on the Far South Side, to explain why he hopes Mayor Rahm Emanuel will appoint him to fill Jackson's seat.
"I've worked for several years behind the scenes, and I've been quite successful in building strong relationships with a lot of great people in the community," Maxwell said.
Maxwell joined a number of people vying for the appointment, including CTA bus driver Sidney Brooks, and IT manager Greg Mitchell – who was one of five candidates who ran against Jackson in 2011.
"Being an alderman is a responsible job. Being at the office and having it adequately staffed lends itself to providing good customer service to its constituents," Mitchell said.
The mayor has 60 days to appoint the person who'll represent the 7th Ward in the City Council.
Asked what kind of alderman the ward needs, political consultant Delmarie Cobb said, "I don't think you need anybody who's going to take that position because they're looking for a paycheck. You need somebody who's going to take that position because they really are invested in their community, they know what their community needs, and it would be great if you have somebody – I think – who is from the community, who's been there a long time, who has a vision of where the community was at one time when it was in its heyday, and where it can go and be in its heyday again."
The mayor's office has said it will announce a process for selecting Jackson's replacement this week. The job offers an annual salary of $115,000.
