His name is on the ballot. But Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. hasn't made a campaign appearance since the primary.
The Democratic congressman from Chicago is running for re-election for his seat in the House of Representatives, but has been out of sight for the last three months, being treated for bipolar disorder.
Campaign advisers told the New York Times, which noted that the campaign's office was locked shut, that the candidate is waiting for the doctor's approval to campaign again.
The son of Rev. Jesse Jackson was expected to win the election easily, but the Washington Post reports he is trying voters' patience while he remains a patient.
Jackson has been in treatment since June. His wife, Chicago Alderman Sandi Jackson, said she won't replace the 47-year-old.
The Republican opponent, Brian Woodworth, thinks he has a valid argument for voting for him, even in the South Side, a strongly Democratic district. He told the Washington Post, "Voters should be paying attention to this," Woodworth said, adding, "For the last three months, almost four, he's ignored them. He's hidden from the press. He's ignored the people. He's neglected his job."
If Jackson decides he's not running, replacing him at this late date would be a messy process, since his name is printed on the ballot, which has already gone to troops overseas. Most likely a court would have to decide whether the votes for him would go toward the replacement or be thrown out.
The Jacksons recently put up their $2.5 million Washington, D.C., home for sale, to help pay medical bills, they said. The family has a house in Chicago too.
