The Rev. Jesse Jackson's influence continues to influence the 2026 elections, even a month after his death, with a recent posthumous endorsement of Illinois Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton’s U.S. Senate campaign turning into a public walkback. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which distributed sample ballots recommending Stratton for Senate, initially claimed that Jackson had endorsed the candidate but the draft sample ballot was released without authorization. Yusef Jackson, COO of Rainbow Pushing, clarified that the family and the organization are not currently making political endorsements this cycle. The controversy surrounding the endorsement could have been significant in the Senate campaign, as two Black women, Stratton and Congresswoman Robin Kelly, potentially splitting the Black vote, could potentially impact the Black Vote. The Jackson family has since apologized for the confusion surrounding this endorsement.