Three of Jackson 5 endorse Melton
Siblings throw support behind state senator’s bid for Gary mayor
Three members of the Jackson 5 have announced their support for State Sen. Eddie Melton’s for Gary mayor, the campaign said Monday, but it’s not entirely clear what, if any, fractional support from the city’s most famous family might have in the primary.
Melton is challenging incumbent Mayor Jerome Prince in the May Democratic primary. Prince is seeking a second term.
Jackie, Tito and Marlon Jackson, who grew up in the city where they attended Roosevelt High School before rising to worldwide fame, endorsed Melton in a video. Melton in a statement said he appreciated their support and friendship and their belief in his ability to lead the city to its full potential.
“Earning the support of Jackie, Tito and Marlon for my candidacy for mayor means to much so me,” Melton said in the statement.
The video includes words of support from the brothers for Melton’s candidacy and his ability to “turn everything around” in the city, returning it to the vibrant community in which they grew up. But does it really matter? Marie Eisenstein, associate professor of political science at Indiana University Northwest, Monday said the short answer to whether endorsements matter is: No.
There are some caveats, Eisenstein said. An endorsement only matters at the margins, it will not bring somebody from a 20-point deficit to the top.
“We are talking about close races, where it’s hand-to-hand combat for every vote. The closer the race, the more important (endorsements) become,” she continued.
That point, too, has a caveat. “Who is endorsing you? Do they have any voters to sway?” Eisenstein said.
An endorsement from an unsuccessful primary candidate who asks their supporters to get behind the party’s successful candidate for the general election can be more impactful than an endorsement from a person or entity that does not have voters’ support.
Still, even that is not usually enough to make or break a race with too big of a distance between the candidates, Eisenstein said.
Impact from endorsements by public figures can be difficult to assess. Factors come into play such as generational influence, which could sway individuals from a certain era, but not others. What sort of media influence the individual has and the amount of media attention paid on a local election also plays a role.
The region struggles to get highlevel media attention on its local elections and without that type of coverage, endorsements from public figures may not have as much of an impact as they would
have in a larger market such as Chicago.
“Clearly, there’s no downside to promoting that you have been endorsed by the Jackson three, the upside is limited. It’s a very, very limited influence this can have,” Eisenstein said.
Mayor Jerome Prince declined to comment on the endorsement, only saying “the Jackson family has given the city of Gary many reasons to be proud.”
“We are going to continue working on re-imagining and rebuilding Gary and continuing giving residents reasons to look forward to our administration during the next four years,” Prince said.