{{short description|American politician}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2011}} {{Infobox officeholder | name=Lydia Patrice Jackson | image= | state_senate=Louisiana | state=Louisiana | district=39th | term_start=2004 | term_end=2012 | preceded=Gregory Tarver | succeeded=Gregory Tarver | state_house2=Louisiana | state2=Louisiana | district2=2nd | term_start2=2000 | term_end2=2004 | preceded2=Danny Mitchell | succeeded2=Roy A. Burrell | party=Democratic | birth_date={{birth date and age|1960|3|5}} | birth_place= | death_date= | death_place= | alma_mater=Radcliffe College | occupation=Bank officer | spouse= }}

'''Lydia Patrice Jackson''' (born March 5, 1960) is a Democratic former member of the Louisiana State Senate from Shreveport, Louisiana. An African American, Jackson represented District 39 in Caddo Parish in the far northwestern corner of her state from 2004 to 2012.

==Biography== Lydia Patrice Jackson was born March 5, 1960. Her father, Alphonse J. Jackson of Shreveport, was an educator, a former member of the Louisiana House, and one of the ten founders of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus.

Jackson graduated from Radcliffe College, the female attachment to Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2019 National Honorary Soror – National Iota Website |url=https://iota1929.org/2019-national-honorary-sorors/ |access-date=2022-05-24 |language=en}}</ref>

From 2000 to 2004, she was the first person of her race to hold the District 2 seat in the Louisiana House of Representatives. Prior to 1997, she was an aide in the District of Columbia to Democratic former U.S. Senator J. Bennett Johnson, Jr.<ref>[http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Jackson/biography.asp Jackson bio on the Louisiana Senate site.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610103810/http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Jackson/biography.asp |date=June 10, 2011 }}</ref> She is a graduate of Radcliffe College in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

In 2009, Jackson made statewide headlines by sponsoring Louisiana Senate Bill 335 to delay a tax break passed in 2008 to halt budget-cutting in public higher education during a downturn of the economy in 2009 and 2010.<ref>Mike Hasten, [http://shreveporttimes.com/article/20090604/NEWS11/906040322/Senate+approves+delaying+tax+break "Senate approves delaying tax break"] in ''Shreveport Times'', 2009 June 04. Arguments supporting SB 335: John L. Crain, "Concerns about higher ed funding" in ''Daily Star'' (Hammond, Louisiana), 2009 June 10, pp. 4A, 5A. Arguments opposing SB 335: C. B. Forgotston, [http://www.hammondstar.com/articles/2009/06/09/opinion/columnists/9149.txt "Mullet Scribe: State cries wolf too often"] in ''Daily Star'', 2009 June 09.</ref> On June 14, 2009, the ''Baton Rouge Morning Advocate'' noted that the proposal passed the Senate but "appears to be dead in the House". Jackson was to have addressed the Press Club of Baton Rouge on the next day.<ref>[http://www.2theadvocate.com/news/48012582.html?index=27&c=y "Sen. Lydia Jackson Press Club guest"] in ''Advocate'' (Baton Rouge), 2009 June 14, p. 3B.</ref> See also cuts to higher education.

Outside the legislature, Jackson is a former research coordinator for Marshall Sigler, Inc.<ref>"Louisiana: Lydia Jackson", ''Who's Who in American Politics, 2007-2008'' (Marquis Who's Who: New Providence, New Jersey, 2007), p. 661</ref> She later became a business development officer and vice president for Capital One Bank.<ref>[http://www.lisc.org/mid_south/assets/asset_upload_file374_10398.pdf ''Under One Roof: Building Communities in the Delta''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716153232/http://www.lisc.org/mid_south/assets/asset_upload_file374_10398.pdf |date=July 16, 2011 }}, 11th Annual Delta Conference of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Mid-South Delta Region, Greenville, Mississippi, September 22–24, 2008.</ref>

Jackson was unseated in her bid for a third term in the Senate in the general election held on November 19, 2011. She lost to her Democratic predecessor in the seat, former Senator Gregory Tarver, a Shreveport businessman. Tarver prevailed with 9,168 votes (52.5 percent) to Jackson's 8,295 (47.5 percent).<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, General election returns, November 19, 2011</ref>

In the nonpartisan blanket primary held on October 22, Jackson had led a three-candidate field with 9,393 votes (43.4 percent). Tarver trailed with 9,015 (41.6 percent). A third candidate, the white conservative Republican Jim Slagle, held the remaining 3,259 votes (15 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://staticresults.sos.la.gov/10222011/10222011_Legislative.html|title=Louisiana primary election returns, October 22, 2011|publisher=staticresults.sos.la.gov|accessdate=October 22, 2011}}</ref>

Both the Jackson and Tarver families are long-time advocates for civil rights in the Shreveport community.

==Notes== {{reflist|30em}}

{{Portal bar|Biography|United States|Politics|Liberalism}}

==External links== *[https://web.archive.org/web/20060924033655/http://senate.legis.state.la.us/Jackson/ Louisiana State Senate – Lydia Jackson] ''official government website'' *[http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=35618 Project Vote Smart – Senator Lydia Jacksone (LA)] profile *''Follow the Money'' – Lydia Jackson **[http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=95332 2007] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=77814 2005] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=33495 2003] [http://www.followthemoney.org/database/StateGlance/candidate.phtml?c=33266 1999] campaign contributions *{{C-SPAN|9266934}} {{S-start}} {{s-par|us-la-sen}} {{succession box | before=Gregory Tarver | title=Louisiana State Senator for District 39 (Caddo Parish)<br/>Lydia Patrice Jackson | years=2004&ndash;2012 | after=Gregory Tarver}} {{s-par|us-la-hs}} {{succession box | before=Danny Ray Mitchell | title=Louisiana State Representative for District 2 (Caddo Parish)<br/>Lydia Patrice Jackson | years=2000&ndash;2004 | after=Roy A. Burrell}} {{S-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Lydia P.}} Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:Democratic Party Louisiana state senators Category:Democratic Party members of the Louisiana House of Representatives Category:African-American state legislators in Louisiana Category:21st-century African-American women politicians Category:21st-century American women politicians Category:Activists for African-American civil rights Category:Baptists from Louisiana Category:Politicians from Shreveport, Louisiana Category:Radcliffe College alumni Category:Women state legislators in Louisiana Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century African-American women politicians Category:20th-century American women politicians Category:21st-century members of the Louisiana State Legislature