Campaign

Jahmiel Jackson, 24, seeks to shake up Philly politics with independent run for Congress

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by Elizabeth Prann - 05/19/26 2:58 PM ET

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by Elizabeth Prann - 05/19/26 2:58 PM ET

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ATLANTA — Jahmiel Jackson, one of the youngest congressional candidates in the country, is looking to reshape politics during the 2026 midterm cycle.

While he started out in the race as a Democrat, he recently announced he’s running as an Independent, having left the Democratic Party.

The 24-year-old candidate is running for Pennsylvania’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes much of Philadelphia, where he was raised. Jackson argues there is a large millennial and Generation Z voting group eager for political change.

“I believe the Democratic Party specifically — in my city — runs our city like a plantation. They only care about people like me voting and donating to Democrats.”

Jackson is campaigning to replace longtime Rep. Dwight Evans (D-Pa.), who is not seeking reelection after more than four decades in politics.

In conversation with “Raising America,” Jackson compared older politicians to a hypothetical mob and argued it is time for a new generation of leadership to “pass the torch.”

“I saw career politicians that failed families like mine. I grew up in West Philadelphia to a single mother of three kids. My mother was a Jamaican immigrant. She worked 50 hours a week and still struggled to keep us housed. We were homeless for seven years. I went to an underfunded school. I knew education was my out,” Jackson said.

Jackson pointed to policies focused on younger and working-class voters. He wants beefed up crime reduction efforts and affordable healthcare. He also points to living and fair wages, obtainable housing and artificial intelligence regulation.

The first-time congressional candidate faces opponents with more political experience. That includes both Pennsylvania state Sen. Sharif Street (D) and state Rep. Chris Rabb (D).

Still, Jackson said younger voters should not be shut out of traditional political structures.

He said crime in his district poses a more immediate concern for residents than the conflict involving Iran. Jackson also suggested requiring younger school-aged children to participate in community service programs for school curriculum — so they feel as if they have equity in the community.

Jackson graduated from the University of Chicago and said he turned down business opportunities to pursue public service.

“There’s a lot of other tracks I could be going down,” he said as to why he decided to get into politics over a high-paying job. “Over the years, so many of my predecessors, who I am running against, have lost the trust of so many of our constituents. This is a reality I am hearing across the country, speaking to other candidates my age.”

Questions surrounding aging lawmakers and term limits have remained a recurring theme in recent election cycles.

The oldest member of the U.S. House is Republican Rep. Harold Rogers of Kentucky, who was born Dec. 31, 1937. He has served in the House since 1981. The youngest is Democratic Rep. Maxwell Frost of Florida, born in January 1997 and elected at age 25 in 2022.

If elected, Jackson would become one of the youngest members of Congress and another member of Generation Z serving on Capitol Hill.

“I am one of the success stories,” he said. “My purpose is more suited towards advocating for others. The money doesn’t matter.”

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