GIAN'S STORY
My name is Gian A. Jones, and I am running for Congress to represent New York’s 4th District.
My story begins with my mother.
She raised my siblings and me as a single parent, making sacrifices every day to give us the best life she could with modest means. We didn’t always have everything we wanted—but we always had what we needed. From her, I learned the values of hard work, resilience, faith, and responsibility.
Today, I’m proud to be raising my son right here on Long Island with those same values. But I also know this truth: it’s never been harder or more expensive for families to build a stable life. Housing costs are soaring. Taxes are crushing homeowners. Groceries, childcare, and healthcare strain family budgets. For too many people, the American Dream feels increasingly out of reach.
That’s why my decision to run for Congress is deeply personal.
I grew up in the Rockaways as the oldest of three children. My mother served our community as a public-school teacher and taught us that service to others matters. From an early age, I learned that strong communities don’t happen by accident—they’re built through commitment, compassion, and accountability.
My commitment to service started young. I served as an altar boy at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church and volunteered with the Claddagh Inn, a nonprofit that helped families facing food insecurity. Those early experiences shaped my understanding of community and responsibility.
As a teenager, I volunteered on my first political campaign, helping Gregory Meeks during his first run for office. I later worked on his campaigns for State Assembly and Congress, and while still in high school, served as a community liaison in his Assembly office. That experience gave me a firsthand view of how government can help—or fail—working families.
After graduating high school, I attended New York University, working full time to pay my way through college while staying actively involved in my community.
Throughout my adult life, I have remained committed to public service and economic opportunity. I have worked on issues ranging from community policing and criminal justice reform to economic development and support for small businesses. I’ve served on Queens Community Board 14, the Advisory Board of St. John’s Episcopal Hospital, the Board of the Rockaway Development and Revitalization Corporation, and the Queens County District Attorney’s African American Advisory Council.
In 2007, I was appointed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg to serve on the Administrative Board for the Empire Development Zone, where I worked to help local businesses access funding, grow, and create jobs.
In addition to public service, I have spent more than 25 years building and running businesses in finance and real estate. I understand what it takes to meet payroll, navigate regulations, manage risk, and create opportunity. I know how fragile the economy feels right now—and how high inflation and uncertainty hit small businesses, workers, and seniors first.
I also believe something important is missing in Washington today: leaders who can bring people together.
I’ve spent my life working with people from every background, every neighborhood, and every political stripe. I believe progress comes from listening, problem-solving, and focusing on real kitchen-table issues—not partisan talking points.
Long Island and our country deserve a representative who will show up every day and fight for them. A leader willing to address rising costs, public safety, housing affordability, climate challenges, and immigration reform with seriousness and common sense—while securing our border and strengthening legal pathways.
That is why I am running for Congress.
Because Long Island deserves leadership that understands its challenges, respects its values, and works relentlessly to build a safer, more affordable, and more secure future for our families.