A member of the Democratic Party, he represented the New York State Senate's 20th District, including parts of the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Crown Heights, Brownsville and East Flatbush from 2015 to 2018.
[2][5] In January 2017, after joining the IDC, Hamilton was named Chair of the Senate Standing Committee on Banking - which The New York Times notes earned him a $5,500 raise.
[15][16] In 2017, Hamilton played a key role in passage of legislation to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction for 16- and 17-year-olds, ensuring that they will not be treated as adults under the criminal justice system for misdemeanors and many felonies.
[34] In August 2022, Mayor Eric Adams hired Hamilton as a legal counsel at the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services or DCAS.
[35] On October 11, 2024, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's agents seized Jesse Hamilton's mobile phone as he was exiting Kennedy Airport after returning from a trip to Japan.
The week prior, Hamilton's boss (Mayor Eric L. Adams) was indicted on bribery and other Federal charges relating to obtaining campaign donations from Turkish nationals illegally.
[38] The Department of Investigations looked into Hamilton's dealings regarding the acquisition of 14 Wall Street in Manhattan, which is owned by a wealthy donor who donated to Mayor Adam's election campaign.
Hamilton strongly pushed for hiring Boutross to her new position by telling Cushman and Wakefield that it would lose its commission deals with the City of New York.