NY-02: Jackie Gordon (D)
Jackie Gordon was born in Jamaica, West Indies, and grew up in New York after immigrating to the U.S. when she was seven years old. She served as an educator for 30 years. She enlisted in the United States Army reserve while earning her degree at Hunter College.
During her 29-year career in the Armed Forces, Gordon served in a wide range of capacities. She was a platoon leader in Germany during Operation Desert Storm, an operations officer at Guantanamo Bay during the Global War on Terror, a battle captain in Baghdad during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, and a commander of the 310th Military Police Battalion in Afghanistan in 2012. In 2014 she retired from the Army Reserve with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
In 2007 Jackie became the first Black woman elected to the Babylon Town Council. As a council member, she lowered the cost of living for families and directed essential resources to veterans and military families. As chair of the Veterans Advisory Council, she pushed for the revitalization of Wyandanch Village and oversaw the annual Soldier Ride which raised over $1 million dollars for the Wounded Warriors Project and invested thousands of dollars into local veterans services.
Gordon lives in Copiague with her son Augustus. Her daughter, Kerrianne, is a captain in the United States Air Force.
The above information was sourced from the candidate’s campaign website.
