The congressional election in Illinois's 2nd congressional district on December 12, 1995 resulted in the entry to Congress of Jesse Jackson Jr. as a Democratic Party representative, a position he held until 2012. The election was a special election made necessary by the resignation from Congress of Mel Reynolds. In the preceding Democratic Party primary held on November 29, Jackson defeated Emil Jones by a margin of 48% to 39%; there were three other candidates. In the general election, Jackson won 76% of the vote against 24% for the Republican candidate, Thomas Somer.