Chris D. Jackson (born 1986) and the adjective “youngest” often appear in the same sentence. He is a county commissioner in Lawrence County, elected in August 2006 at the age of 19. Jackson is the youngest person ever elected to public office in Lawrence County. And as the chair of the Lawrence County Democratic Party, Jackson is one of the youngest county chairs in the state.

Although young, Jackson has plenty of political experience. His political journey had begun seven years back, in the year 2002, where he volunteered for the Phil Bredesen’s gubernatorial campaign. Two years later he volunteered for the re-election campaign of Congressman Lincoln Davis and the Kerry presidential campaign. It was in that same year when Jackson was the chief campaign assistant to the Tennessee House candidate in his district.

During the 2006 U.S. Senate campaign in Tennessee, Jackson did online grassroots blogging in support of Congressman Harold Ford Jr. and his bid for the United States Senate and served as Ford’s campaign chairman in Lawrence County. Jackson was recognized by Ford in his concession speech on election night.

In 2005, Jackson was unanimously voted the Vice Chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party. Nearly a year after he was elected Vice Chairman, Jackson officially announced that he would seek the office of County Commissioner in the Second District of Lawrence County. The seat was being vacated by a retiring incumbent of over 30 years. On Election Day, Jackson received 401 votes, which was one of the highest amounts of any commissioner in the county. He is currently one of the youngest elected officials in the country.

Since taking office in September 2006, Jackson has been a leader on many of the big issues that face Lawrence County. He has made education a top priority. In 2008, Jackson was a vocal leader in the movement to remove harmful, mold-filled portable classrooms from the county. Upon taking office, Jackson became a leader in the effort that provided Lawrence County schools with over $1 million worth of new technology.

“Currently, our party has been entrusted with a majority of the elected positions in the county and there is a reason for that: our candidates put people first, produce results and reflect well on our great county,” Jackson says. “As Chairman of the party, I will make sure that tradition continues by always keeping in mind that we work for the people, not the other way around.”

“It is my hope that we can continue to work together in common cause no matter what our political affiliation is and move Lawrence County forward. That is what the people want and deserve.”

Jackson resides in Loretto where he has served two terms as vice president of the local Lions Club. He is currently a senior at the University of North Alabama where he is majoring in political science and government with a minor in criminal justice.

For more information, visit the homepage of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.