Safiyah Jackson

Safiyah Jackson
Member of the Wake County Board of Commissioners
from the 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
February 2025
Preceded byMatt Calabria
Personal details
PartyDemocratic
EducationFlorida A&M University
National Louis University (M.Ed)
OccupationEarly childhood education administrator, politician

Safiyah Jackson (born 1977 or 1978) is an American politician and early childhood education administrator serving as a member of the Wake County Board of Commissioners for the 2nd district since 2025. A member of the Democratic Party, she was appointed to the board in August 2025 to fill a vacancy and was elected vice chair of the board later that year.

Jackson worked for two decades in early childhood education and nonprofit administration in Chicago and North Carolina. In 2024, she was the Democratic nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 37, losing to incumbent Erin Paré.

Early life and education

Jackson earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from Florida A&M University.[1] She received a Master of Education (M.Ed) in early childhood administration and educational psychology from National Louis University.[1]

Career

Early childhood education and nonprofit work

Jackson began her career as a zone manager at the Ford Motor Company from 2001 to 2007.[1] She then moved into arts, culture, and education administration in Chicago, serving as an education fellow at The Chicago Community Trust and as an assistant director of education and later director of learning programs at the Shedd Aquarium.[2][3] From 2012 to 2018, Jackson worked at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership, first as director of training and later as a program officer for early childhood education.[4] She also served as an adjunct professor at National Louis University from 2016 to 2017.[4]

In 2018, Jackson joined the North Carolina Partnership for Children, a statewide early childhood organization, as early childhood systems director. She became the organization's chief strategy officer in 2020, working with a statewide network of county-based early childhood organizations.[4][5]

2024 North Carolina House of Representatives campaign

In 2024, Jackson ran as the Democratic nominee for the North Carolina House of Representatives in District 37, which includes Fuquay-Varina and parts of Holly Springs and Garner in southern Wake County.[6] Her campaign centered on education and early childhood development.[6] The district was considered one of a handful of competitive races that could affect the Republican supermajority in the state House.[6]

In the general election on November 5, 2024, incumbent Republican Erin Paré defeated Jackson and Libertarian candidate Christopher Robinson. Paré received 51.5% of the vote to Jackson's 45.2%.[7][8]

Wake County Board of Commissioners

The Wake County Democrats nominated Jackson in January 2025 to fill the open District 2 seat created when Matt Calabria resigned to lead Governor Josh Stein's recovery office in Western North Carolina.[9] In February, the Wake County Board of Commissioners unanimously appointed Jackson to represent the district.[10][11] She was sworn in the same day as the board's approval vote.[10] Upon taking office, Jackson said she took the seat "as an advocate for the early years," arguing that a strong community "starts with happy kids, good schools and support for families and teachers."[10]

In December 2025, the board elected Jackson as vice chair for 2026, alongside chair Don Mial.[12] As a commissioner, she chairs the board's Affordable Housing Committee and is a liaison to the Wake County Housing Authority and Passage Home boards.[12][13] Jackson was unopposed in the Democratic primary for a full term in 2026.[14]

Personal life

Jackson lives in unincorporated Wake County, in the Raleigh, North Carolina metropolitan area.[15] She has described herself as the granddaughter of a domestic worker and as having grown up in a family with working parents.[16] She is involved in the Raleigh Little Theatre and has said that her personal interests include theater, live jazz, community festivals, and children's literature.[16][17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Meadows, Jordan (2024-07-31). "Safiyah Jackson's Campaign for NC House District 37". The Carolinian Newspaper. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  2. ↑ "Chicago Community Trust Appointments". Chicago Tribune. 2007-06-28. p. 2. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  3. ↑ Mullaney, Tom (2010-05-19). "Young Leaders Fund giving entrepreneurs a lift". Chicago Tribune. pp. 4–2. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  4. 1 2 3 "District 2". Wake County Government. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  5. ↑ "Wake board elects new chair, fills vacant commissioner seat". Wake County Government. 2025-02-03. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  6. 1 2 3 Wooten, Alan (2024-10-07). "Election 2024: Four races pivotal to Republican power in House". The Center Square. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  7. ↑ "State House District 37 Results". Asheville Citizen-Times. 2024-11-08. pp. A9. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  8. ↑ "November 05, 2024 General Election Results by Contest" (PDF). North Carolina State Board of Elections. 2024-11-26. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  9. ↑ Roman, Anna (2025-01-30). "Wake Democrats choose nominee to fill vacant county commissioner's seat". The News and Observer. pp. A2. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  10. 1 2 3 Roman, Anne (2025-02-05). "Wake commissioners pick new member for county board". The News and Observer. pp. A2. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  11. ↑ Bergin, Mark (2025-02-03). "Wake County commission elects new chair". WRAL. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  12. 1 2 Meadows, Jordan (2026-01-09). "Wake County Board Kicks Off 2026 with New Leadership". The Carolinian. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  13. ↑ "Wake County Board of Commissioners elects new chair, vice chair". Wake County Government. 2025-12-02. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  14. ↑ "Safiyah Jackson". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  15. ↑ The Editorial Board (2024-10-24). "N&O endorsements: Our choices in Wake County's NC House races". The News and Observer. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  16. 1 2 "Candidate Questionnaire: Safiyah Jackson, NC House District 37". Indy Week. 2024-10-17. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
  17. ↑ "Our Staff: Safiyah Jackson". Raleigh Little Theatre. Retrieved 2026-07-31.
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