1995 Illinois's 2nd congressional district special election

1995 Illinois's 2nd congressional district special election

← 1994 December 12, 1995 1996 →
 
Nominee Jesse Jackson Jr. Thomas Somer
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 43,333 15,076
Percentage 74.2% 25.8%

U.S. Representative before election

Mel Reynolds
Democratic

Elected U.S. Representative

Jesse Jackson Jr.
Democratic

The congressional election in Illinois's 2nd congressional district on December 12, 1995, resulted in the entry to Congress of Jesse Jackson Jr. as a Democratic Party representative, a position he held until 2012.

The election was a special election made necessary by the resignation from Congress of Mel Reynolds. In the preceding Democratic Party primary held on November 29, Jackson defeated Emil Jones by a margin of 48% to 39%; there were three other candidates. In the general election, Jackson won 76% of the vote against 24% for the Republican candidate, Thomas Somer.