GIAN'S STORY
My name is Gian A. Jones, and I am running for Congress in New York’s 4th district.
As a single parent my mother constantly sacrificed for us; to give us the very best that she could afford. Now I’m proudly raising my son right here in Long Island, but today, it’s even harder and more expensive for families to provide a decent quality of life for their children and other loved ones. That’s why my run for Congress is deeply personal.
I was raised in the Rockaways and was the oldest of three. A Long Island native, my mother proudly served our community as a public-school teacher and always did the best she could with the modest means available to her. We didn’t always get what we wanted, but she made sure that my siblings and I always had what we needed.
Commitment to serving others and my community is not new for me. As a youth, I learned the importance of community and giving back. My commitment to service started as an altar boy at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church and as a youth volunteer with a non-profit organization named the Claddagh Inn, which helped manage food insecurity for some families in the community. These early experiences would help shape the person I would become.
In my early teenage years, I volunteered for my first campaign assisting now-Congressman Gregory Meeks in his first bid for elected office. I worked on Congressman Meeks subsequent campaigns for State Assembly and U.S. Congress. While in the New York State Assembly, I served in Mr. Meeks’ office as a community liaison while still High School.
Upon graduating from high school, I attended New York University where I worked full time to pay my way through college, while remaining involved in my community.
Since then, I have dedicated myself to public service and have worked for several causes that sought to help the most vulnerable people in the community. From economic development to support for community policing models and criminal justice reform, I have tirelessly advocated for marginalized communities and local business owners.
Some of those roles included my appointment to the Queens Community Board 14, the Advisory Board of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, Board Member of the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation and Member of the Queens County District Attorney’s African American Advisory Council.
In 2007, I was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the Administrative Board for the Empire Development Zone where I helped, advocated, and promoted local business owners for funding and business support.
With high inflation and a fragile economy, I know how difficult it is to stay afloat. As a business owner with over 25 years of experience in finance and real estate I know how to kick start our economy by helping small and midsize businesses grow and by creating more affordable housing.
I also understand how to connect with voters from all walks of life and both sides of the aisle — something increasingly rare as our representatives in Washington become more partisan and less out of touch with the real kitchen table issues that matter.
Long Island and our nation deserve someone who will show up every day and fight for them in Washington. A leader who isn’t afraid to pass bold policies to address the unstable economy and high government debt, rising crime, climate change, and immigration reform and securing the boarder.
That’s why I’m running for Congress.