Benjamin Jackson

Benjamin Lawrence Jackson (born Febuary 29, 1980) is an American politician who currently serves as the 42nd Governor of Illinois. Jackson is widely known for his gaffes and his debate against Senate Majority Whip María Antonieta Arroyo Villanueva de Peña, who at the time was suffering from serious injury. 
== Early Life ==
Benjamin Jackson was born in Loudoun County, Virginia, on Feb. 29, 1980, and was the second son of Rebecca and James Jackson. The Jackson household was an upper middle-class family, and both Rebecca and James were happy, with few arguments with each other taking place. Both were liberal university professors, and their political beliefs were passed down to their children too, according to Jackson. At the age of 4, Benjamin and his family moved to Illinois, after his parents both got jobs at the University of Chicago.  
After high school, Benjamin went on to attend and graduate from Harvard with a Bachelor's in Law Studies, and then received a Master's in Economics. 
== Pre-Political Career ==
Soon after graduating from university, Benjamin spent his savings in the stock market, where he had some success, and was able to amass a small fortune as a broker and investor. His massive payday finally came in 2009, where he invested most of his fortune in a large bank, where he is now one of the main shareholders. The yields from his stocks made him extremely wealthy, and then he spent more on stocks, making him even richer. 
== Governor of Illinois ==
In 2014, Jackson took advantage of a crowded field and ran for the Governorhip of Illinois, and jockeying for the Democratic Party nomination, on a platform of lowering the state income tax, reducing crime in Chicago by rehabilitating criminal offenders, and improving education by boosting the education budget state-wide.  
In 2016, Jackson switched parties to the Progressives. 
== Personal Life ==
Jackson has one older brother and is a noted philanthropist.