Greg Jackson Jr.
At-Large Council — Regular Election — Democratic Primary, June 16, 2026
Participating in DC Fair Elections Program ✓Greg Jackson Jr. (age 41) was shot in a Shaw neighborhood shooting in 2013 and nearly died. "My tragedy shined a light on interpersonal violence in inner cities," he says. That experience redirected a career that had begun in campaign organizing — he co-founded DC for Obama in 2007, led over 380 DNC field staff in North Carolina for Obama's 2012 re-election, and served as national field director at the DCCC, leading what he calls the largest midterm voter registration effort in U.S. history. After the shooting, he entered DC government as the first director of Mayor Muriel Bowser's Cabinet Office of Community Relations and Services, where he oversaw resolution of more than 2,000 resident concerns. He later joined the Department of Parks and Recreation as communications and community relations director, coining DPR's "Where Fun Happens" motto and launching the FitDC campaign. In 2019, after losing a family friend to gun violence, he became national advocacy director and then executive director of Community Justice Action Fund, the nation's only Black survivor-led gun violence prevention organization. At Community Justice, he helped secure $42 billion in federal gun violence prevention funding and co-led passage of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — the first federal gun violence law in 30 years. He was then appointed Special Assistant to President Biden and Deputy Director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, where he developed 54 executive actions and oversaw implementation of the new law. He credits these efforts with a 49% reduction in homicides nationwide over three years. During this time his Congress Heights home was struck 13 times in a nearby shooting. He is a proud UVA graduate (Class of 2007), where he was the first Black freshman class president, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, and student council vice president. He currently serves as president of the Rocket Foundation alongside rapper Quavo and is pursuing an Executive Master of Public Health at Yale. His platform priorities are gun violence prevention, youth safety, job creation, housing affordability, and education. He is endorsed by Rep. Maxwell Frost, former Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, Opportunity DC, and The Collective PAC.
Endorsements (4)
Elected/Appointed Officials
- Rep. Maxwell Alejandro Frost (D-FL)
- Fmr. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D-KS)
Advocacy & community organizations
- Opportunity DC
- The Collective PAC
Positions on the issues
All positions are sourced directly from the candidate's campaign materials, official questionnaire responses, or verified news coverage. Stances are rated on a scale from Strongly opposes (−2) to Strongly supports (+2). A stance of Unknown means no public position has been found.
DC should treat violence as a public health problem, investing heavily in violence interruption programs and community-based solutions.
Survived a 2013 Shaw shooting; spent over 12 years in gun violence prevention, including leading 54 Biden executive actions and overseeing the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act's implementation, which he credits with a 49% nationwide homicide reduction. His public safety platform leads with community violence intervention, cognitive behavioral therapy, wrap-around services, and a Group Violence Reduction Strategy — with law enforcement as one tool among many. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he called to 'invest in prevention strategies' including mental health and community violence intervention (noting DC has put only $25M into it) and to focus on 'upstream accountability' to intercept the guns — 95% from outside DC — that make crime fatal.
Sources: [Greg Jackson for DC Council — Campaign Website], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
Hiring significantly more MPD officers is a priority for reducing crime in DC.
Does not call for simply hiring more MPD officers. His gun violence platform emphasizes Crime Gun Intelligence, a Regional Gun Trafficking Initiative with VA and MD, and investigative tools — explicitly stating 'not just patrol or surveillance.' He favors targeted law enforcement strategies over across-the-board hiring. At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate he affirmed 'law enforcement is a big part of how we address these crises' and pressed a rival on a proposed 50% police cut — signaling he opposes deep cuts while not prioritizing mass hiring either.
Sources: [Greg Jackson for DC Council — Campaign Website], [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should expand the 'community schools' model, where schools serve as neighborhood hubs providing mental health, family support, and other services beyond education.
Explicitly proposes to 'Strengthen Community Schools Model' by investing in place-based partnerships connecting students and families to health, academic, and social supports, and expanding collaboration with trusted community organizations.
Every DC public school should have a dedicated behavioral health clinician on staff.
Proposes to 'Expand Cognitive Behavior and School Based Mental Health Programs,' citing their impact in DC and similar cities; also proposes to strengthen school climate through restorative practice investments and direct resources to schools where indicators show students need the most support.
DC should expand subsidized childcare into a universal program — available to all DC residents regardless of income — building on the Pre-K Enhancement and Expansion Program (PKEEP).
Pledges to protect Paid Family Leave, the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and Universal Pre-K; wants to expand childcare facility grants and push toward a goal where childcare costs families no more than 7% of income.
DC should increase funding for the Department of Parks and Recreation, including extended rec center hours and expanded youth and senior programming.
Served as DPR's communications and community relations director, coining the 'Where Fun Happens' motto and launching the FitDC campaign. His youth safety platform proposes a 'Safe Nights DC Initiative' expanding late-night youth-targeted recreation in high youth-traffic areas and strengthening out-of-school programs.
Any youth curfew must be paired with substantial investment in alternative programming — jobs, recreation centers, mental health services — for young people.
Proposes a 'Safe Nights DC Initiative' to expand late-night youth recreation and restorative activities in high-traffic areas, a Youth Safety Fund directed by youth, expanded out-of-school programs, and a Youth Network for Safety — all centered on programming investment as the primary tool for reducing youth violence.
DC should guarantee free, high-quality child care from birth through age three — with no waitlists — for District families.
Pledges to protect Paid Family Leave, the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund, and Universal Pre-K, expand childcare facility grants, and push toward a goal where childcare costs families no more than 7% of income — strong support for early-childhood affordability, framed around a percentage-of-income cap rather than a free birth-to-three guarantee.
DC should cut taxes and fees on small and local businesses — and offer relief such as the small retailer property tax credit — to help them open, survive, and grow.
At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Jackson made job creation his top budget priority, proposing to 'cut fees and red tape that's impacting and keeping small businesses from operating,' including a 'first-year free waiver for new businesses' — especially those that hire residents without advanced degrees — alongside cutting middle management in a 'top-heavy' government. Supportive of cutting fees and red tape on small businesses.
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should respond to Trump administration interference in city governance with an assertive, public stance — filing lawsuits, passing protective legislation, and refusing to comply with unlawful federal directives — rather than quiet diplomacy or pragmatic deal-making.
At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Jackson argued 'power respects power, not pity,' citing being called to testify before Congress four times, his bipartisan relationships, and having passed a bipartisan law Trump tried to repeal. He would 'build a bridge between council and Congress … an actual council that has relationships that can fight, protect, and defend our rights' — an assertive defense pursued through coalitions and federal relationships rather than litigation/refusal alone.
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should keep police officers out of public schools and instead invest in counselors, social workers, and mental-health staff.
Reverse-coded question: keeping armed police out of schools aligns with the statement. In the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate lightning round, Jackson answered 'no' to returning armed police to all DC public high schools, adding that DC should prioritize resources for parent-teacher engagement as 'the highest predictor of youth performance.'
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should increase its funding for Metro (WMATA), even if it means cutting other city services.
At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Jackson said it is 'not a time to cut crucial services... for Metro,' while stressing that many residents depend on Metro and it must be safe and reliable. Supportive of Metro but against the cuts-elsewhere tradeoff; recorded as mixed.
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should impose a commuter tax on people who work in the District but live in Maryland or Virginia (if federal law allowed it).
At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Jackson said he is 'open to some regional commuter taxes' and would 'love to look more into' a universal one.
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
When the two conflict, DC should prioritize building more housing quickly — including market-rate — over maximizing deep-affordability requirements on each project.
At the April 28, 2026 Fair Elections Program At-Large debate Jackson argued the affordability-vs-supply choice 'is a failed strategy... because affordability is driven by more supply,' and would fight for more supply of homes affordable to rent and to own. Supply-leaning.
Sources: [DC Fair Elections Program At-Large primary debate (April 28, 2026)]
DC should create a new tax on high-revenue professional-services firms — such as law firms, lobbyists, and consultants — to raise revenue for city programs.
Jackson favors growing the economy and providing tax relief to attract and retain businesses 'instead of relying on constant tax increases.' That revenue philosophy runs against creating a new business-activity tax. Leans opposed.
Sources: [Affordability and Jobs — Greg Jackson for DC Council]
DC should strengthen worker protections — expanding paid family and medical leave and raising the minimum wage — even if it raises costs for employers.
Jackson pledges to protect Paid Family Leave and the Early Childhood Educator Pay Equity Fund and to strengthen workforce pipelines. Supports maintaining and protecting worker protections, with less emphasis on expanding mandates.
Sources: [Affordability and Jobs — Greg Jackson for DC Council]
General sources
- Greg Jackson for DC Council — Campaign Website — jacksonfordc.com. Accessed 2026-05-29.
- Greg Jackson Jr. — Ballotpedia — ballotpedia.org. Accessed 2026-05-27.
- Meet the candidates for an At-Large seat on the DC Council — The 51st — The 51st. Accessed 2026-05-27.