Philadelphia, PA — Jahmiel Jackson announced that he has left the Democratic Party and will run for Congress as an independent in Philadelphia. Jackson said the decision was made in March, when he stepped away from the Democratic primary process, citing the need for generational change and a political system more focused on solving problems than partisan conflict.

“As a 24-year-old, I’ve grown up in a political era defined by division and stagnation,” Jackson said.

Jackson said this moment requires more leaders and less politicians. He argued that the country needs more visionaries in office focused on our future. His campaign will focus on a solution-based platform centered on housing affordability, healthcare costs, AI, economic opportunity, and restoring trust in public institutions.

Jackson pointed to the 2023 national debate over President Joe Biden’s age and leadership as a turning point in his political thinking, saying it exposed a gap between public concerns and political response.

“That moment showed how many elected Democrats, including my opponent, chose to ignore or minimize concerns that voters were already raising,” Jackson said. “That positioning helped slow-walk the party into a clear and avoidable defeat.”

He said our political parties want people to think there are no other options, but he is running to prove that voters still do.