Young progressive Democrat Jibreel Jalloh, a Canarsie, Brooklyn resident, threw his hat into the ring on Nov 30. He aims to unseat incumbent Assembly Member Jaime Williams of District 59.
Jalloh, a lifelong resident, filed to run in the June 2026 Democratic primary. The platform focuses on affordability, healthcare access, gun violence prevention, climate resilience, and stronger public services for working families.
“This is our home. Time and again, I’ve seen that when communities unite, they can transform not just their neighborhoods, but their government,” he told residents, faith leaders, business owners, veterans, and political organizations, at 1454 Rockaway Parkway.
“We all feel it every single day. Bills go up, families are asked to do more with less, and essential programs and healthcare are cut. Working people deserve leadership that prioritizes their needs. This campaign is about all of us, about lowering costs, protecting healthcare, ending gun violence, and building a future where families can afford to stay and thrive,” he said.
Jalloh is the founder and executive director of The Flossy Organization. He has led grassroots efforts throughout southeast Brooklyn, rallying neighbors to stop a toxic pesticide facility, pushing for better transit options, and mobilizing youth and residents around safety and climate issues. She is passionate about bringing change to the district.
He served as an Obama Foundation Scholar at Columbia University, an experience he says reaffirmed the power of people coming together around shared purpose.
The brilliant young man said his support system encouraged him to apply — specifically, his brothers from the Urban Male Leadership Academy at Baruch College, mentors, and family. He interned with the First Deputy Mayor’s office in NYC, focusing on education and criminal justice portfolios, and worked on school climate initiatives. He researched best practices on community policing and wrote memos on City Council hearings. He noted, “This campaign is going to be focused on the future, on bringing down the cost of living.”
Jalloh is the son of Sierra Leonean nationals. His mother is a union nurse and his father a taxi driver. They immigrated to New York in pursuit of the American Dream. Jalloh says that dream is slipping further out of reach for the communities he grew up in.
According to a City & State article, Jalloh would be a more progressive alternative to Williams, a right-leaning Democrat who has represented the district since 2016.
The statement said, “While she’s active in her district, in recent years, Williams has come under fire from other Democrats for her more conservative moves. These include her vocal support for Curtis Sliwa’s mayoral campaign (though she said it was not an endorsement), and her strong opposition to the City of Yes local zoning overhaul.”
The article added that in 2023, Williams was even mistaken for a Republican by Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Jamaal Bowman. This occurred after the Assembly member advocated against a migrant shelter at Floyd Bennett Field in her district.
