When Democrat Jeff Jackson was declared the winner of a special party election to the N.C. Senate last month, he thanked his supporters, hugged his wife Marisa and whispered in her ear."Honey, I just lost my job," he told her.
Winning election cost Jackson his job as an assistant district attorney in Gaston County, a position he'd had for three years.
Jackson, 31, was elected by Mecklenburg County Democrats to fill the term of Dan Clodfelter, who left the Senate after his own selection as mayor of Charlotte following Patrick Cannon's arrest and resignation.
Jackson said the Administrative Office of the Courts had originally told him the Senate wouldn't interfere with his day job. But four days before the party vote, an official told him it would.
At issue is Article 6 Section 9 of the state constitution. It says, "No person who holds any office or place of trust or profit under the United States or ... under any other state or government, shall be eligible to hold any office in this State that is filled by election by the people."
"I knew that it was a risk," Jackson says. "But ... I had decided that even if it as going to cost me my job, it was still worth it.”
As a senator, Jackson makes $13,951 a year. A captain in the Army National Guard, he also gets Guard pay.
Now he's looking for someone willing to hire somebody who has a demanding, if part-time job in the General Assembly as well as annual two-week Guard duty.
Still, he saw his income drop almost 75 percent. That's one reason he told his wife with the applause still in the air after he was elected.
"I figured that was the safest time to tell her," he says.
4 comments:
what a great guy-- knew he was about to lose 75% of his pay for himself, wife and child, but didn't tell her before accepting the position? That speaks volumes about the arrogance of this otherwise intelligent man. That's a joint decision. While campaigning for the position, he made a big deal about saying he consulted his wife first and second before deciding to run. Guess that was a load of campaign b.s. I wonder how much of the rest of what he promised to do is complete lies.
We will all see.
Could not be worse than Clodfelter, Cannon, Foxx, and the rest of current and past city council.
This is a fabulous young man...he will be a great Senator for Mecklenburg county......Go, Jeff!!
Of course, one cannot serve on an N.C. county District Attorney's staff and also hold elective office at the local, state or federal level. But he could take up a new calling such as painting, music or acting.
This wise separation-of-domain guidepost for persons in public service is in keeping with the constitutional principles supported by the namesake of Gaston County, 19th Century Judge William Gaston, who also wrote the lyrics to our state song, "The Old North State":
"Hoorah, hoorah, the Old North State forever,
"Hoorah, hoorah, the Old North State."
OK first anonymous poster, you must not think much of his wife's intelligence if you think she had no clue this would be a possibly.
Just another republican hack trying to stir the pot on a bright star in the democratic party.
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