Jesse Jackson family disputes posthumous Juliana Stratton endorsement in Senate primary

The family of Rev. Jesse Jackson is withdrawing 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 also featured a picture of Stratton with Jackson. 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 Jackson 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."

Both Stratton and Senate contender Rep. Robin Kelly are also using past endorsements from former President Barack Obama in ads in the Senate race, raising more eyebrows — and showing the race may be tightening. The other frontrunner in Tuesday's Democratic primary to replace retiring longtime Sen. Dick Durbin is U.S. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi from Schaumburg.

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.