Southside Proud.

Jason Chavez’s parents left Mexico to escape poverty and violence, immigrating to the East Phillips Neighborhood for the chance of a better future. His parents taught him to center community in his work and to push forward in spite of obstacles. No matter your beliefs, he will always take a call, meet with you, and hear you out to find how he can support you. 

Unfortunately, they were evicted and left homeless with only their community to rely on. This was Jason’s first experience with the predatory systems that exploits so many Southsiders to the point of crisis. At the age of 13, Jason turned to street life fueled by feelings of isolation and resentment, just like so many youth of color in our community. The Southside community stepped up and supported him. With their encouragement and love, he made a change for the better and attended Cristo Rey High School on Lake Street. There he made unforgettable relationships with his classmates and teachers who taught him invaluable lessons about the power of building relationships. As a result of this investment and with the community behind him, Jason became the first in his family to attend and graduate college.

For 3 years, he worked as a legislative aide in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Working in the halls of power, Jason always remembered the community that had given him so much to get him to where he was. He fought alongside our community to reshape our broken criminal justice system, implemented protections for renters against predatory landlords, organized for immigration justice, and secured critical funding for small businesses impacted by the civil unrest and COVID-19.

In 2021, you elected Jason to serve as the first LGBTQ+ Latino on the Minneapolis City Council and as the DFL-DSA-Labor Endorsed Candidate. He serves as the Vice -Chair of the Committee of the Whole and the Race and Equity Committee. He is one of the hardest working elected officials and makes sure that Ward 9 is well represented.