Meet DeVelle Jackson

Of The People. For The Whole People.

Born in Minnesota, DeVelle Jackson enters this race having made his own way, learned to question what others overlook, and developed the tenacity to stay with difficult problems until he understands what they require. That discipline was forged through commercial construction work, education, community service, and a life lived across different communities, turning hardship into advancement, responsibility into leadership, and hard-won perspective into independent judgment without losing sight of the whole.﻿
He is at his strongest when ideas must be tested aloud, asking the question others miss, speaking plainly where politics obscures, and giving force and direction to what the people already know deserves to be heard.

Rooted in Minnesota. 

I am a candidate for the United States House of Representatives in Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District, but my path to public office did not begin inside a political party or professional campaign organization. It began through work, education, faith, community service, and a growing conviction that public leadership should be grounded in responsibility to the people.
I was born in Saint Paul and have lived in communities across Minneapolis, including North Minneapolis, South Minneapolis, Uptown, and Downtown, as well as a nearby suburb where I excelled as a student, athlete, and sax player. These communities have given me a broad view of Minnesota, from the challenges confronting working families and historically overlooked neighborhoods to the strength, culture, and potential that exist throughout our state.
My father was a carpenter who built his own home. My mother built a long career with the State of Minnesota, including 22 years with the Minnesota Department of Health. From them, I learned that work has dignity, that responsibilities must be carried through, and that what we build should be able to stand.

Grounded in Hard Work.

Before seeking office, I worked with my hands and learned responsibility in environments where performance has real consequences.
My construction career began in Minnesota, where I worked as a residential framing carpenter and as a union roofer with Roofers Local 96. I pursued college while working, balancing academic study with the demands of construction and everyday life.
I later continued my construction career in Atlanta, beginning with work at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and going on to major high-rise projects, including the Nobu Hotel tower at Phipps Plaza. There, my work expanded from the trades into field engineering and superintendent responsibilities on major projects.
Construction taught me lessons that extend far beyond a job site. Plans matter. Details matter. People must be able to rely on one another. Problems must be identified honestly, competing priorities must be reconciled, and the work must keep moving. Ultimately, the results must stand on their own.
People who work hard and carry real responsibilities also deserve a government serious about the work entrusted to it.

Called to Serve.

My commitment to service developed through my faith, my community, and years of involvement with institutions dedicated to the public good. Both of my parents have spent their lives supporting the church, and I carried that example into my own faith and service. 
As an active member of Progressive Baptist Church in Minnesota, I came to understand faith not simply as personal belief, but as a responsibility to serve others. That commitment deepened during my years in Atlanta, where I became involved with The King Center for Nonviolent Social Change.
For the last four consecutive years, I have served The King Center as a volunteer and docent, helping visitors and participating groups engage with the history, philosophy, and continuing work associated with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I underwent training through the Center’s Nonviolence365 program and supported civic education, youth leadership, public-service programs, and the King Holiday Observance.
I also helped guide and coordinate volunteer groups, including corporate participants, students, and Morehouse College Oprah Winfrey Scholars.
This work strengthened my understanding that nonviolence is not passivity. It requires discipline, organization, courage, moral clarity, and a willingness to act when institutions are failing the people they are supposed to serve.

The Next Chapter.

My interest in politics has always been connected to a deeper interest in constitutional law, representative government, and the responsibilities of public office.
Having previously completed most of my undergraduate studies, I returned to Minnesota already prepared to take a more active role in public life and finish my degree at the University of Minnesota, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and graduating with distinction.
My studies examined constitutional government, political institutions, public power, civil liberties, and the forces now testing American democracy. Returning to the University brought the next chapter into focus. It was part of a larger commitment to prepare myself more fully for service and leadership.
I intend to continue toward law school as the next extension of a path already grounded in academic distinction, public responsibility, and leadership. My first professional dream was to become a sports agent, and the connection between sports, law, advocacy, and representation remains part of who I am.

For Minnesota’s Fifth.

I am running for Congress because politics is not distant from everyday life. It shapes our rights, wages, education, healthcare, public safety, privacy, opportunities, and ability to participate fully in the country we share.
My life in Minnesota entered a new chapter during a period when our state and nation were confronting serious questions about executive power, constitutional boundaries, immigration enforcement, political division, and whether public institutions still answer to the people. I did not believe that observation alone was enough. I believed I had a responsibility to contribute.
I am running as an authentic Independent because I do not believe meaningful representation should require surrendering one’s judgment to a party establishment. Being an Independent does not mean refusing to work with others. It means entering Congress prepared to build coalitions, cooperate where cooperation serves the people, challenge abuses of power, and place constitutional responsibility above faction.
I did not come to public life through a party ladder. I came through Minnesota communities, construction sites, classrooms, churches, civic service, and years of studying how leadership can either elevate people or fail them. My candidacy grew from those experiences; it was not assembled to fit someone else’s political lane.
The House of Representatives was created to remain close to the people. It is where I have chosen to begin, with every intention of pressing the work as far as it can go. Minnesota’s 5th District deserves a representative who will listen seriously, work relentlessly, and carry the district’s voice into Congress without allowing it to be managed, softened, or traded away for political convenience.
I believe public office is a trust, not a possession. It demands preparation, judgment, humility, courage, and direct accountability to the people.
That is the standard I am prepared to meet.