Candidate for
Councilmember; City of Berkeley; District 4

On November 4, 2008, Jesse was elected by the voters of District 4 to represent them on the Berkeley City Council. Jesse is the first Latino to be elected to the Council and is the youngest Councilmember in recent memory. In addition to his position on the City Council, Jesse also serves on both the 4x4 Joint Task Force Committee on Housing and the 3x3 Berkeley Housing Authority/City Council Committee. He is also the City Council's representative to the Berkeley/Albany Mental Health Commission. Jesse brings years of experience as an activist and public official to the City Council.

From an early age, Jesse was passionately committed to social activism. The son and grandson of farm workers, he worked to educate others about the legacy of César Chávez and modeled his life after Chávez's commitment to non-violent social change. Over the past 14 years, Jesse has been involved in political activism and public service in a number of ways, such as working to rename Army Street in San Francisco after his hero Cesar Chávez; working with organized labor in fighting for workers rights; and serving as a member of the San Francisco Youth Commission advising the Mayor and Board of Supervisors on issues relating to children and youth.

Jesse went to the University of California, Berkeley. During his time at Cal, he served as the City Affairs Director for the ASUC (UC Berkeley student government) representing student interests to the city government. He also served on the Chancellor's Joint Oversight Committee on Parking and Transportation. Because of his work on affordable housing issues, he was appointed to the Housing Advisory Commission, which he served on until his election to the Berkeley City Council. In 2004 he was elected by the voters of Berkeley to serve on the Rent Stabilization Board and from 2006-2008 he was unanimously selected by his colleagues to Chair the Board. He was also a member of the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee and served on the Zoning Adjustments Board.

Prior to his election to the Council, Jesse worked as an aide to Councilmember Kriss Worthington, helping constituents navigate the city government and developing progressive public policy. He has served on the Board of the Berkeley Architectural Heritage Association and on the Executive Committee of the Sierra Club Northern Alameda County Group.