Candidate for
Member, Democratic Party County Central Committee; County of Alameda; Assembly District 15

On November 4, 2008, Jesse was elected by the voters of District 4 to represent them on the Berkeley City Council. Jesse was re-elected to the Berkeley City Council in November 2010 by over 50% of the vote. Jesse is the first Latino to be elected to the Council and is the youngest Councilmember in city history. In addition to his position on the City Council, Jesse also serves on both the 4×4 Joint Task Force Committee on Housing and the 3×3 Berkeley Housing Authority/City Council Committee. He is also the City Council's representative to the Berkeley/Albany Mental Health Commission and is Mayor Tom Bates' representative on the Oversight Board for the Berkeley Redevelopment Successor Agency. Jesse brings years of experience as an activist and public official to the City Council.

From an early age, Jesse has been passionately committed to social justice. The son and grandson of farm workers, he worked to educate others about the legacy of César Chávez and has 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 to Berkeley 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 as a Rent Stabilization Board Commissioner and from 2006-2008 he was unanimously selected by his colleagues to Chair the Rent Board. He also served on the Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee and Zoning Adjustments Board.

Prior to his election to the City Council, Jesse worked as an aide to Councilmember Kriss Worthington, helping constituents as well as 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.

In addition to his work on the Berkeley City Council, Jesse has been active in local Democratic Party politics as a member of the East Bay Young Dems, John George Democratic Club, Wellstone Democratic Club and serving on the Board of the East Bay Stonewall Democratic Club. He is also an Associate Central Committee Member from AD 15 on the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee.