An experienced leader, educator, and veteran
Jackie Gordon is a dedicated public servant running for Congress to fight for Long Island working families. Jackie was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and her family came to the United States in pursuit of the American dream when she was seven years old. Growing up in Queens, New York, Jackie attended public schools. She has education degrees from Hunter College and Queens College, and is a guidance counselor at Wilson Technological Center in Farmingdale, where she has been mentoring and advising Long Island high school students for nearly 22 years. A combat veteran, Jackie enlisted in the United States Army Reserve as a college student and went on to serve as a platoon leader in Germany during Operation Desert Storm, an operations officer at Guantanamo Bay, as a battle captain in Baghdad during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and as Commander of the 310th Military Police Battalion in Afghanistan in 2012. She retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in 2014. “Deployments are tough,” Jackie has said of her time serving far from her family and community. “To know I had people back here rooting for me and expecting me to come back here made it easier for me.” She was elected to the Babylon Town Council in 2006, becoming one of only two African Americans elected to town board seats in Suffolk County since the early 1990s, and has worked tirelessly to serve her community. Jackie has served on the board of Girl Scouts of America Suffolk County and as a member of the Suffolk County Charter Commission. She lives in Copiague with her son Augustus. Her daughter, Kerrianne, is a Captain in the U.S. Air Force.
A champion for Long Island working families
Jackie is running for Congress to expand economic opportunity for Long Island working families. She has dedicated her career to preparing Long Island students for college, the workforce, and productive lives. “Every day it’s my privilege to guide young people to become productive citizens,” Jackie has said, and she is a powerful advocate for policies that help Long Islanders thrive in a quickly-changing economy. “I’ve been a teacher, a school counselor, and on the PTA,” Jackie has said. “I believe in our kids, and I’ll fight for them in Washington.” Jackie is a fierce champion for the middle class, and she fearlessly tackles the toughest problems facing her community. “The Army taught me to always do more — to work harder, fight harder and get results,” she has said. “When my country asked me to do more, I stepped up. I'm stepping up again to do more for Long Island.”
An opportunity to flip a seat from red to blue
Jackie is running for the highly competitive open seat currently held by retiring 14-term incumbent Republican Congressman Peter King. King won re-election by a slim margin in 2018, and his retirement makes this race a prime opportunity to gain new ground and strengthen our House majority. New York’s 2nd Congressional District has never before elected a woman to the House, but she is poised to make history as the first. Let’s show Jackie the full support of the EMILY’s List community and help elect this champion for Long Island working families to Congress.