Sara Jacobs | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2021 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Susan Davis |
| Constituency | 53rd district (2021–2023) 51st district (2023–present) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Sara Josephine Jacobs (1989-02-01)February 1, 1989 (age 36) San Diego,California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Domestic partner | Ammar Campa-Najjar[1] |
| Relatives | Gary E. Jacobs (father) Irwin M. Jacobs (grandfather) Paul E. Jacobs (uncle) |
| Education | Columbia University (BA,MIA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Sara Josephine Jacobs[2] (born February 1, 1989) is an American politician who has been theU.S. representative forCalifornia's 51st congressional district since 2023, previously representing the53rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. Her district includes central and eastern portions ofSan Diego, as well as eastern suburbs such asEl Cajon,La Mesa,Spring Valley, andLemon Grove. A member of theDemocratic Party, she is the youngest member ofCalifornia's congressional delegation.[3] She is the Caucus Leadership Representative, making her the youngest member of the Democratic House leadership.[4]
Jacobs was born inSan Diego on February 1, 1989.[5][6][7] Jacobs's grandfather is billionaire businessmanIrwin M. Jacobs, a co-founder and former chairman of the semiconductor companyQualcomm.[8][9] She graduated fromTorrey Pines High School andColumbia University, earning aBachelor of Arts inpolitical science in 2011 and aMaster of International Affairs ininternational relations in 2012.[10][11][12]
After earning her master's degree, Jacobs worked for theUnited Nations andUNICEF. In February 2014, she began working as a contractor to theUnited States Department of State. She then served as a policy advisor onHillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.[13][14] After the election, Jacobs formed a nonprofit called San Diego for Every Child: The Coalition to End Child Poverty.[15]
Jacobs ran as aDemocrat in the 2018 elections for theUnited States House of Representatives inCalifornia's 49th congressional district. In the blanket primary election, she finished third, behindDiane Harkey andMike Levin.[16]
In2020, Jacobs ran inCalifornia's 53rd congressional district.[17] She finished first in the top-two primary, and defeatedSan Diego City Council PresidentGeorgette Gómez in the November general election.[18] She became the youngestUnited States Representative fromCalifornia when she assumed office on January 3, 2021.[19]
During her political campaigns, Jacobs has received significant funding from her grandfather.[8][9][20] According toOpenSecrets, Jacobs was the 5th most self-funded candidate in the2020 United States elections. She financed $6,921,255 to her campaign, constituting 90.32% of total campaign contributions.[21]
Following redistricting from the2020 United States census, Jacobs ran inCalifornia's 51st congressional district. She defeated Republican Stan Caplan in the general election with around 62% of the vote.
In 2022, Jacobs authored legislation to regulate the collection of personal reproductive health data, as in period-tracking apps.[22][23]Mazie Hirono andRon Wyden introduced a version in the U.S. Senate.[24][25]
Along with 16 other members of Congress, Jacobs was arrested at a demonstration in support of abortion rights outside theUnited States Supreme Court Building on July 19, 2022.[26][27]
In 2022, Jacobs introduced a bill to rename the Andrew Jackson Post Office inRolando after her predecessorSusan A. Davis.[28] Signed into law on December 27, 2022,[29] a ceremony to install a new plaque with Davis' name was held on July 7, 2023.[30] TheAndrew Jackson signage remains on the front of the building.[31]
For the118th Congress:[32]
Jacobs is aprogressive Democrat and has one of most progressive-leaning voting records amongHouse Democrats.[41] Jacobs voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress, according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.[42]
Jacobs callsclimate change "one of the biggest threats facing humanity". She says she wants a zero-carbon, clean energy economy by 2030.[43]
Shortly before PresidentJoe Biden left office, his administration determined that the Sudanese paramilitaryRapid Support Forces (RSF) militia was committing genocide and accused theSudanese Armed Forces (SAF) of using chemical weapons in theSudanese Civil War.[44] As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Subcommittee on Africa, Jacobs supportedbill S.935, which seeks to block arms exports and sales from the United States to theUnited Arab Emirates (UAE) until it is certified that the UAE is not providing materiel support to the RSF in Sudan.[45]
In a December 2022Foreign Policy article, Jacobs criticized the United States'counterterrorism strategy in Africa, writing thatgood governance is needed in Africa instead of guns. She was among the first members of Congress to visit Sudanese refugees at the border.[46]
On January 15, 2025, Jacobs responded to theJanuary ceasefire agreement by stating that "we’re in desperate need to repair the damage done to international norms and the United States’ credibility. We also need to ensure that all parties respect and uphold this agreement in good faith. I will keep working until all the hostages are released, a permanent ceasefire is implemented, humanitarian assistance is readily available, and Gazans have rebuilt and have self-determination"Jacobs on January ceasefire
On April 5, 2024, Jacobs joined 39 Democrats in a call for Biden to stop the transfer of US weapons to Israel during theGaza war. Jacobs signed a letter withNancy Pelosi and including RepresentativesCori Bush,Barbara Lee,Jamaal Bowman,Ilhan Omar,Rashida Tlaib andAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez.[47] Two weeks later, she voted in favor of a $26 billion bill that provided both humanitarian aid to Gaza and military aid to Israel.[48] She responded to criticism about signing this bill by stating: "While I’m deeply concerned about further military assistance to Israel, I couldn’t in good conscience vote against this lifesaving humanitarian assistance.”[49]
On November 18, 2023, Jacobs called for a ceasefire in theGaza war and an end to Israel'sblockade of the Gaza Strip, saying "It is time for a bilateral ceasefire — to immediately release the hostages; to establish humanitarian access and allow fuel, food, water and medical care into Gaza; and to end the bombardment of millions of Palestinian civilians."[50]
In November 2023, Jacobs introduced a measure to censure CongressmanBrian Mast after Mast stated that Palestinian children killed by Israel were not innocent civilians,[51][52] however the measure was withdrawn by Democrat leadership.[53]
In March 2023, Jacobs was among 56 Democrats to vote in favor of a resolution which directed PresidentJoe Biden to withdraw U.S. troops fromSyria within 180 days.[54][55]
On July 6, 2023, US PresidentJoe Biden authorized the provision ofcluster munitions toUkraine in support of aUkrainian counter-offensive against Russian forces in Russian-occupied southeastern Ukraine.[56] Jacobs opposed the Biden administration's decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine.[57]
In 2022, Jacobs said she supportedNancy Pelosi remaining Democratic leader within the House.[58]
Jacobs wishes to repeal the tax cuts for the wealthy in theTax Cuts and Jobs Act. She wants "to increase the highest marginal tax rate and ensure capital gains rates match that, close loopholes in our tax code, and make sure everyone, including corporations, pays their fair share".[43]
Jacobs supportsMedicare for All.[43]
Jacobs called the Trump administration's response toCOVID-19 "horribly mishandled". She wants to hold businesses and individuals accountable forprice gouging related to personal protective equipment and health care supplies during the pandemic.[43]
On the one-year anniversary of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization decision, Jacobs wrote an op-ed for MSNBC.com calling for passage of the My Body, My Data Act, which would create a national standard to protect reproductive and sexual health data.[59]
Jacobs supports the Child Care is Essential Act, which aims to pay child care workers a good wage and helps pay for child care for working families.[43] Jacobs co-leads the Child Care for Every Community Act, which aims to create a federally-funded and locally-run network of child care centers.
Jacobs supports including a provision to grant citizenship for undocumented immigrants residing in the U.S., and passing theDREAM Act. She supports increasing funding for the immigration-related court system, and reducing backlogs. She supports modernizing border security and improving transit times. She opposes theTrump administration family separation policy, and wants to end funding on privatized detention facilities. Jacobs wants the U.S. to accept at least 95,000 refugees annually and protect individuals withTemporary Protected Status.[43]
Jacobs lives in the Kensington neighborhood of San Diego.[60] She isJewish.[61]
She has been in a relationship withAmmar Campa-Najjar (a former Democratic candidate fora neighboring congressional district) since 2019.[62][63]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sara Jacobs | 192,897 | 59.5 | |
| Democratic | Georgette Gómez | 131,349 | 40.5 | |
| Total votes | 324,246 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Sara Jacobs (Incumbent) | 144,186 | 61.9 | |
| Republican | Stan Caplan | 88,886 | 38.1 | |
| Total votes | 233,072 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Primary election | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
| Democratic | Sara Jacobs (incumbent) | 90,901 | 57.4 | |
| Republican | Bill Wells | 61,923 | 39.1 | |
| No party preference | Stan Caplan | 3,164 | 2.0 | |
| No party preference | Hilaire Fuji Shioura | 2,496 | 1.6 | |
| Total votes | 158,484 | 100.0 | ||
| General election | ||||
| Democratic | Sara Jacobs (incumbent) | 198,835 | 60.7 | |
| Republican | Bill Wells | 128,749 | 39.3 | |
| Total votes | 327,584 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
She has also been in a relationship with Ammar Campa-Najjar, whose father is Palestinian, for several years.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 53rd congressional district 2021–2023 | Constituency abolished |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 51st congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 263rd | Succeeded by |
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
