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

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........

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