Mel Reynolds
Mel Reynolds was 2013 Democratic candidate seeking election to the U.S. House in the special election for the 2nd Congressional District of Illinois.
Biography
Reynolds is a former member of Congress, actually serving the 2nd Congressional District from 1993 to 1995. His time in Congress was cut short when a jury convicted him of sex-related charges, which included sex with a minor. He was also convicted of federal financial and campaign fraud.[1] Former President Bill Clinton commuted his sentence in 2001. Jesse Jackson, Jr. was elected in a special election to replace Reynolds in 1995.[2]
Elections
2013
Reynolds ran in the 2013 special election for the U.S. House, representing Illinois' 2nd District. The election was held to replace Jesse Jackson, Jr.. Reynolds lost in the Democratic primary to Robin Kelly.[3]
Democratic Primary
U.S. House, Illinois District 2 Special Democratic Primary, 2013 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
![]() |
53.3% | 31,079 | ||
Debbie Halvorson | 25.1% | 14,650 | ||
Anthony Beale | 11.1% | 6,457 | ||
Joyce Washington | 4.4% | 2,563 | ||
Ernest Fenton | 2.6% | 1,545 | ||
Anthony Williams | 1.1% | 641 | ||
Mel Reynolds | 0.8% | 459 | ||
Clifford Eagleton | 0.4% | 207 | ||
Fatimah Muhammad | 0.3% | 194 | ||
Gregory Haynes | 0.2% | 144 | ||
Larry Pickens | 0.2% | 127 | ||
John Blyth | 0.2% | 104 | ||
Victor Jonathan | 0.2% | 91 | ||
Charles Rayburn | 0.1% | 74 | ||
Denise Anita Hill | 0% | 4 | ||
Total Votes | 58,339 | |||
Source: Results via Illinois State Board of Elections |
Polls
2013
Illinois' 3rd Congressional District, Democratic primary | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll | Debbie Halvorson | Toi Hutchinson | Robin Kelly | Napoleon Harris | Mel Reynolds | Anthony Beale | Other | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | |||||||||
Normington-Petts (January 8-10) | 16% | 12% | 8% | 7% | 7% | 5% | 5% | 40% | +/-4.9 | 400 | |||||||||
GBA Strategies (January 3-7) | 25% | 16% | 15% | 9% | 8% | 10% | 2% | 15% | +/-4.4 | 500 | |||||||||
Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org |
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Reynolds and his wife, Marisol, have one child.[4]
Charges in Zimbabwe
In February 2014, Reynolds was arrested in Zimbabwe for an immigration violation and possessing pornography. Reports also alleged that he failed to pay more than $24,000 in hotel bills.[5][1]
He was deported from Zimbabwe on February 23, 2014, after paying a $100 fine. He pleaded guilty to breaking immigration laws by staying longer than his visa permitted. Other charges were dropped after the judge ruled that the police did not have a proper prosecution order.[6]
Term in Congress
Reynolds served in Congress from 1993 to 1995 before he was convicted on charges that included sexual assault and solicitation of child pornography. He was also later convicted of financial and campaign fraud.[5][1]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Mel + Reynolds + Illinois + House"
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Star Tribune, "Ex-US congressman Mel Reynolds arrested in Zimbabwe for allegedly possessing pornography," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ Chicago Tribune, "Convicted former Rep. Mel Reynolds wants Jackson seat in Congress," November 28, 2012
- ↑ AP.org, "Illinois - Summary Vote Results," accessed February 26, 2013
- ↑ Project Vote Smart, "Biography," accessed June 2, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Washington Post, "Ex-Rep. Mel Reynolds arrested in Zimbabwe on pornography, immigration charges," accessed February 18, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "Ex-U.S. Rep. Mel Reynolds deported from Zimbabwe," accessed February 24, 2014