Thaddeus Jones is an American politician, currently serving as both the

Illinois state representative The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...

for the 29th district and as the mayor of

Calumet City, Illinois Calumet City ( ) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 36,033 at the 2020 census, a decline of 2.7% from 37,042 in 2010. The ZIP code is 60409. Etymology The word ''Calumet'' is the Miꞌkmaq and French word for ...

. The 29th district includes all or parts of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Dolton, South Holland,

Lansing Lansing () is the capital of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is mostly in Ingham County, although portions of the city extend west into Eaton County and north into Clinton County. The 2020 census placed the city's population at 112,644, makin ...

Calumet City Calumet City ( ) is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 36,033 at the 2020 census, a decline of 2.7% from 37,042 in 2010. The ZIP code is 60409. Etymology The word ''Calumet'' is the Miꞌkmaq and French word for a ...

, Thornton, Glenwood, Lansing Village, Steger,

Crete Crete ( el, Κρήτη, translit=, Modern: , Ancient: ) is the largest and most populous of the Greek islands, the 88th largest island in the world and the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, Sardinia, Cyprus, ...

and Monee. Jones is a member of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

Political career

Jones' first position in elective office was as Calumet City's 3rd ward alderman from 1997 to 2007. His first year in statewide office began in 2011, after beating primary opponent Sheryl Tillman for the 29th district seat by 24 points, and Green Party candidate Kenny Williams by 66 points in the 2010 Illinois General election. In 2017, Jones resigned from his role with his eponymous Jones Foundation for using charitable donations for campaign finance purposes. In 2021, Jones become the first Black mayor of Calumet City, after beating 18-year incumbent mayor Michelle Markiewicz Qualkinbush. The election was fiercely-contested, with both sides alleging foul play against each other. The Qualkinbush team accused Jones of falsifying his residency to meet eligibility requirements, while the Jones campaign cited their opponents' lack of reporting on an estimated $80,000 in public funds spent on mailers calling for his ballot ineligibility. Jones' victory and inauguration were subject to judicial challenge which initially overturned the results, but this judgment was eventually appealed and affirmed in the Supreme Court of Illinois. Jones beat a

write-in candidate A write-in candidate is a candidate whose name does not appear on the ballot but seeks election by asking voters to cast a vote for the candidate by physically writing in the person's name on the ballot. Depending on electoral law it may be poss ...

Tony Quiroz on April 6, and will simultaneously hold the 29th district Illinois statehouse seat while acting as Calumet City mayor. He was sworn in May 1, 2021. As of July 3, 2022, Representative Jones is a member of the following Illinois House committees: * Family Law & Probate Subcommittee (HJAU-FLAW) * (Chairman of) Insurance Committee (HINS) * Judiciary - Civil Committee (HJUA) * Labor & Commerce Committee (HLBR) * Minority Impact Analysis Subcommittee (HLBR-MIAS) * Prescription Drug Affordability Committee (HPDA) * (Co-chairman of) Special Issues (INS) Subcommittee (HINS-SPIS) * Workforce Development Subcommittee (HLBR-WORK)

Personal life

According to his official website, Jones has two sons, and lives with his wife Saprina in Calumet City.

Electoral history

References

External links

repthaddeusjones.com
Rep Thaddeus Jones Official Website
Representative Thaddeus Jones (D)
at the Illinois General Assembly **By session
98th97th
*

at the Illinois House Democrats {{DEFAULTSORT:Jones, Thaddeus Living people Democratic Party members of the Illinois House of Representatives Loyola University Chicago alumni Year of birth missing (living people) 21st-century American politicians People from Calumet City, Illinois African-American mayors in Illinois