Daniel Jackson to officially launch bid for 12th Congressional District

An Augusta man is announcing his run against Congressman Rick Allen, R-Augusta, for Georgia's 12 Congressional District this week.

Daniel Jackson is launching his campaign with a rally at the Salvation Army Kroc Center on Friday. He is running as a Democrat, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission.

"(Jackson) feels the 12th Congressional District needs more quality opportunities to create meaningful economic impact in its underserved communities to help break the cycle of generational poverty as well as more investments in rural communities to generate quality growth," read a statement in the news release announcing his campaign launch.

Jackson's website lists a number of priorities, including education, decriminalizing marijuana, women's equality and more.

After growing up in Augusta, Jackson joined the U.S. Army Signal Corps and spent 20 years in the military, retiring as a Warrant Officer 2, according to his office. A high school dropout at 14, he earned a GED and eventually a master of science in information technology. After his retirement from the military he served as the vice president of a government contractor.

The district covers Augusta and stretches south nearly to Savannah and west to Vidalia and Dublin. According to FEC records, Rashaad Jones and Elizabeth Johnson are also running as Democrats in the 12th Congressional District.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: Daniel Jackson to launch campaign for congress Friday in Augusta