The son and grandson of farm workers, Jesse was born in Fresno and raised in San Francisco. He grew up in a working-class household, where his parents instilled the values of hard work, public service, and giving back to others. When Jesse was young, his family was pushed out of their home in the midst of San Francisco's skyrocketing housing market, due to owner-move-in evictions and rent increases. Jesse knows how disruptive and harmful evictions are to working families, and how essential housing security is for the success of families and children.

Jesse has served the Berkeley community for 16 years. Prior to his election to the City Council, he served on Berkeley's Housing Advisory Commission, where he helped secure funding for hundreds of new affordable units, crafted the Condominium Conversion Ordinance, strengthened inclusionary housing policies, and fought for City funding for student cooperative housing. In 2004, he was elected citywide to serve on the Rent Stabilization Board. As Chair of the Rent Board, he strengthened renter protections to help keep families in their homes. He also served on the Zoning Adjustments Board, Downtown Area Plan Advisory Committee, and Planning Commission. He is a former Sierra Club Boardmember and worked as a Legislative Aide in Berkeley City Hall.